In What Do You Believe?
by NaomiTheClone
Summary: Rukia struggles with the recent loss of her sister and is forced to uproot her life, moving to a completely different town. Meanwhile, she's been thrown into a new group of people where she meets Ichigo, someone who seems to understand her pain. AU
1. Chapter 1

Hi everyone! After a long busy school year, I think I'm ready to start another story. This idea came from a poem I read by Audre Lorde. I found the poem in my sister's (MarieRock) book of poems by Lorde, the same book she used to write "Today Is Not the Day". This whole story will be based on Lorde's poem "Starting All Over Again" which will be posted before the story begins. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy!

Starting All Over Again

it's great to be able call you

at strange hours of my night

asking you to explain

yourself wondering

if that land you approach

radar in hand

climbing an unknown sea

where sailors dare not go lightly

is my face your grandfather's

broad-lipped island face

so like mine

is your own face.

It is not wrong to hunger

for a cause till the need

burns upriver

to your heart becomes

an unquenchable taste

only you must believe

yourself

and the power to choose

your own selves

your best campaign.

I believe in you my son

and I tremble

but the whole earth is trembling

and no one is talking

more than 100,000 dead bodies

in the strange land between us

and still no word spoken

but you share my sleep

with a Kuwaiti girl

impaled twice

by the sprouting hatred of a conqueror

whose face is hidden from me

and by her brother

who loathes the child she bears.

dark incandescent winds blow

the belch of smoldering oil wells

around the world

dimming my island sunsets

mingling with the black smoke

of Ellen Goodman's son

aflame on the Amherst green.

In one month I celebrate

the beginning of my second Saturn return

you were the gift of my first

and I trust you beyond question

_In what do you believe?_

Audre Lorde

I sat in the back of _his _car as we pulled out of the hospitals parking lot. The building resided in the side mirror, slowly decreasing in size as we drove away. Something in my chest tightened and a strange feeling came over me. I never thought that I would be so attached to the hospital; it was practically my home for the last two months. Both my brother and I had slept in small hospital cots every night for the majority of those two months and I assumed he was experiencing similar feelings. My clothes still smelled of surface cleaner or whatever chemicals they used to sanitize the building and I wasn't sure they'd ever lose that aroma.

As Byuakuya turned into our neighborhood a wave of sadness hit me with a fierce intensity. I never thought coming home could be this upsetting. At that moment I felt alone, I had left what was left of my sister in that hospital bed with a white sheet resting over her entire body and whatever relationship I once had with my brother-in-law was thrown away as soon as he told the doctors to pull Hisana off life support. There was no one else. It was just me; I had to find a way to cope with the loss of my sister alone.

The car slowly pulled into our driveway and I immediately unbuckled and pushed open my door, not waiting for Byuakuya to turn off the vehicle. Before I could step out he spoke up.

"You can leave your things; I'll grab them for you." His voice was tired and slightly raspy.

Ignoring his comment, I grabbed the bag I had packed weeks ago and started towards the door. I searched for my house key and after swiftly unlocking the front door; I took a few steps inside. I froze mid-step as her scent hit me; it was everywhere on everything. Tears built up in my eyes as I heard Byuakuya approach me. His feet were shuffling in but froze after a couple of steps. He must have noticed the aroma of the house like I did. I heard him sigh, sounding exhausted, before walking around me to go to his room. Still frozen, I watched as he stood in front of their bedroom door. His hand rested on the doorknob but he didn't move. After standing there for a few moments, he turned and came back down the short hallway until he reached the living room couch. After tossing his bag on the coffee table Byuakuya glanced up at me, a desperately sad expression resting on his face.

"If you're hungry I could order us something or pick you up something." His face had shifted as he tried to look neutral.

Again I didn't acknowledge him and blinked away a few tears before stomping towards my room. Once I reached my destination I slammed the door, locked it and threw my bag aside. I curled up in bed and cried myself to sleep, not even trying to hide my loud sobs.

The next morning I woke to the sound of glass clinking together. It sounded like Byuakuya was having a difficult time choosing his morning coffee mug. I pulled my pillow over my head, attempting to drown out the noise but was only flooded with Hisana's scent. I immediately sat up and rubbed my eyes, trying to ignore the overwhelming feelings of loss. After staggering down the steps, I found Byuakuya surrounded by half-filled cardboard boxes. He was packing away the glass cups and plates from the kitchen cabinet.

"What are you doing?" I reluctantly asked, my curiosity getting the best of me. He glanced up at me and gave me a weak smile.

"Good morning, Rukia." When he realized I wouldn't return the gesture, he looked around while his face grew slightly serious. "I think we should talk. Maybe you should have a seat." Again I hesitated before sitting at the opposite side of the kitchen table. "Rukia…I can't live here…" He shook his head before continuing. "I couldn't even go into our room last night. We can't stay without her, so…"

"So what?" I asked, giving him a slightly angry attitude.

"So I've decided that we're moving. I don't know when or how far, I just…can't stay in this house." Byuakuya was watching his hands as he spoke and his eyes gave away his exhaustion.

"What? You're uprooting my life and making me move because of a decision _you_ made? I know its hard Byuakuya but you did this to us!" I stood angrily as my eyes began to water. "If you just would've listened to me!" My hands balled up into fists and Byuakuya lightly grabbed my wrist. My voice took on an irritated edge that I had heard in my sister's during the few arguments she had had with my brother.

Byuakuya stood with me and spoke quickly, trying to appease me. "Hisana please-" He cut himself off as tears slid down his face, realizing what he had said. Without another thought, I reached up and slapped him across the face.

"This is all your fault!" I exclaimed, selfishly ignoring his own feelings. "Don't talk to me." I pulled away from him and stormed off, heading back to my room.

A week after our argument, we had already moved into a new house in a new town and I was getting ready to go to a new school. Monday morning, my first day at Karakura High School, Byuakuya made me breakfast but I left it untouched and didn't even sit at the table. Once it was time to leave, we both piled into the car and headed towards the school. The ride was silent, void of any sound, including the radio. The high school wasn't very far and it only took us about ten minutes to reach our destination. As Byuakuya parked I pulled on my long socks that came with my school uniform and then slid into my shoes. In the corner of my eye I saw Byuakuya smile slightly at my old habit but I ignored him and tried to open my door. To my surprise it was locked and I looked over at my brother expectantly.

"Rukia…I'm really sorry you had to change schools but…I really hope you have a good day." He smiled indirectly at me. I continued to stare at him blankly until he unlocked my door and quickly got out of the car.

I made my way to the door and tried to find my way to the office. It took me nearly ten minutes to find the room and after given my schedule, I was sent away to find my classroom. I had fifteen minutes before school even started, which I was glad for. While stumbling through the groups of people, I had the feeling that I wasn't even close to my designated classroom. As I scanned the room numbers, I walked with my head turned to the side. With my attention elsewhere, I didn't see the people standing in front of me and abruptly walked right into someone, causing their books to fall all over the floor. The girl's eyes were wide and she stood there looking confused.

"I'm so sorry! Are you ok?" I asked frantically as I bent over to pick up her things. She quickly joined me and laughed it off.

"I'm fine, thanks. You look a little confused, are you new?" She stood and I followed her, handing her the books I knocked over. As I nodded to her question, I noticed the tall guy standing next to her. He had a long red ponytail and stood probably over six feet tall. He was leaning against a locker and observing with a small smile on his face. I turned my attention back to the girl that stood in front of me. She had short brown hair that almost reached her shoulders. Her bangs were pinned back out of her face and she had a friendly smile donning her face.

"I'm Michiru Ogawa and this is my friend Renji Abarai." She offered as she gestured towards the giant redhead.

"I'm Rukia Kuchiki, it's nice to meet you." I lazily bowed my head, not bothering to be too formal.

"What grade are you in?" Renji smiled down at me as he spoke.

"The 11th" I replied, tipping my head back to meet his gaze.

"Cool so you'll be in our class. We can show you how to get to class if you're lost." At Renji's words, Michiru nodded in agreement.

"Yeah definitely. We'd be happy to!" I shrugged slightly at their offer.

"Sure, thanks."

As we headed towards our classroom Michiru continued to talk about our schedule and what the school day was like. She offered to show me to my locker and asked if I wanted to eat lunch with her. I didn't think making friends would be this easy and doubted I'd even speak to anyone so soon anyways but with her kindness, it took minimal effort. Renji seemed just as friendly as Michiru but he didn't talk as much.

We reached the classroom and they led me to the teacher's desk. They introduced me and found out where I would be sitting. The two of them continued to follow me as I sat my school bag down. I was about to sit in my seat but Renji quickly grabbed my upper arm and pulled me a few steps away from my desk.

"We wanted to introduce you to our friends," Michiru claimed as Renji led me to a small bundle of people in the back of the class. "Hey guys, this is Rukia Kuchiki. She's new." Michiru smiled and nudged me closer to her friends. Without speaking I glanced around the circle of people and stepped back slightly, feeling overwhelmed. They all noticed my discomfort and I felt Renji's massive hand pat my shoulder before he took his spot next to a tall slim girl with long curly hair. Her large bright eyes shined as she grinned at me.

"It's nice to meet you, Rukia-chan." I froze momentarily as I heard her use the nickname Hisana had always called me. Between the overcrowding and the feelings of loss, I had to take another step back and cast my eyes down towards my feet as my vision blurred slightly. "Are you alright Rukia-ch" I cut the girl off and shook my head.

"It was nice meeting you all…" My eyes were still on my feet as I took yet another step away and turned towards my desk. No one tried to stop me but I figured Michiru was disappointed with me. I pushed that thought away as I rested my head in my hands and held in the tears that were fighting to escape. Everyone continued to talk and socialize until the bell rang. Then the teacher stood and everyone else took their seats. I saw a flash of orange in my peripheral vision and turned to see an angry looking, orange haired kid take the desk next to me. When his eyes met mine he smiled slightly before turning back to the teacher.

The class dragged by and I found it extremely hard to pay attention. Every couple of minutes my thoughts returned to my sister and how much I missed her. I didn't take any notes and can't remember a single thing that was said during that first lesson. After two more hours of other classes the teacher excused us for lunch and everyone but me stood. Kids began grouping together and heading out the room. I stayed seated and debated whether or not I even wanted to eat. After my rude actions, I doubted Michiru's offer was still up for grabs and I didn't feel like finding out. While starring out the window the teacher approached me, a concerned look on her face.

"Hey, Kuchiki. Aren't you ready for lunch?" She sat on the desk next to mine and smiled down at me in a friendly manner. She was probably informed about my situation.

"I'm not very hungry," I answered quietly and didn't raise my head to look at her directly.

"Are you sure?" Before I could answer, Michiru chimed in.

"It's okay sensai, she's eating with us. Right Rukia?" She walked up to my desk and smiled down at me, just as friendly as before.

"Uh…I suppose." The teacher nodded and smiled before standing. Her hand reached out and she patted my back.

"Alright then, if you need anything just ask Kuchiki." With that she went back to her desk, leaving me with Michiru and her group of friends.

"Are you ready?" Without looking up at her, I sighed quietly and nodded. I stood and followed her out tall the door. They led me to the schools ceiling where a few other groups were sitting and sat down in their designated spot. I ended up sitting between Michiru and some girl with black spikey hair. They hadn't yet been properly introduced and I still knew none of their names. Renji was aware of this and nudged Michiru lightly. She looked up and him and then at me.

"Oh," she stated, smiling at me. "We never got the chance to tell you everyone's names." She then began naming them all off rather quickly, giving me practically no chance to actually remember them. To my left was Tatsuki, the girl with dark spikey hair. She seemed quiet and sort of rough around the edges. Next to her was Kon, a scraggly kid with shaggy brown hair and who talked and laughed louder than appropriate. Then there was Ichigo, the orange-haired boy who was sitting next to me. He was quiet and had a constant glare on his face. To Ichigo's left there was Mina, the girl who earlier called me 'Rukia-chan' and who also appeared to be Renji's girlfriend. Renji sat next to her and on his other side was Hisagi. He had dark hair and a strange 69 tatoo on his face. Hisagi seemed fairly nice and laughed a lot, a smile constantly resting on his face. Next to him was Michiru who I assumed was dating the boy next to her.

They continued to talk through lunch and tried to involve me in any way possible. Most of the time I didn't make any effort to join in on their conversations and after a long period of time of silence Michiru turned the attention to me.

"So why did you move, Rukia?" Everyone stopped talking and turned to me for an answer.

"Uh…my brother just decided to move." My words came out evenly and I tried to keep my personal life to myself.

"He decided to move for no reason?" Renji looked down at me with a small smile on his face.

"Hm…" I responded with a shrug and received a few quiet laughs. My gaze was steady and blank as they looked among each other with slightly confused expressions on their faces.

"Oh that's interesting-" I cut Michiru off while shaking my head and sighed before speaking.

"My sister died…so my brother wanted to move out of our house." My voice grew smaller with every word and everyone was silent. Michiru laid her hand on my shoulder comfortingly but I pulled away as a slight glare formed on my face.

"…I'm sorry." Her hand rested in mid-air above my shoulder as she apologized. Again I shook my head and stood.

"I just don't want to talk about it." With that I turned and left, heading back to our classroom. I could feel all their eyes following me but did my best to ignore them. I sat at my desk and waited for class to start again.

At the end of the day Michiru came up to me and apologized again for making me uncomfortable and assured me she would "be more sensitive" to my situation. I told her it was fine and apologized for my rude behavior. After our conversation, I quickly headed to the exit so I could go home and isolate myself. As I was turning a corner, I accidentally walked into someone else. I quickly apologized and looked up to see that Ichigo kid standing in front of me.

"Oh, no I'm sorry. I wasn't watching where I was going." He looked down at me with a concerned expression on his face. He nervously scratched the back of his head before speaking again. "Um…I know you don't want to talk about your sister but…I'm really sorry for your loss." I quietly thanked him and headed towards the door. Ichigo walked a few steps behind me and once we were outside, he slightly waved and told me goodbye.

I headed for Byuakuya's car and pulled myself in swiftly. He greeted me with questions about my day but I refused to answer him. Every time I looked at him I could hear his words to the doctors, telling them to pull the plug. All the pain from the last few months came rushing back as soon as I was with him and I dreaded being home with him. A few tears slid down my face but I quickly wiped them away and rested my head on the window, thinking about how badly I missed my sister.

I hope you all enjoyed! Sorry this chapter was a little boring but it'll get more interesting and I have a plan/basic outline for the rest of the story. Please read and review, I can't wait to hear what you think of it! :)


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello all, I'm back and I'm excited to get on with the story and into an interesting chapter (hopefully). I will not post the poem in every chapter because it's so long and takes up a lot of space lol. However many elements of the poem can and will be apparent in the story. Certain scenes are straight out of my interpretations of the poem and I will say something that will not be directly commented on is that the strange spaces in the poem, if you noticed, will be represented with Rukia's attitude toward others. In the story she puts distance between herself and others which signifies the awkward spaces in the middle of the poem. :) I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter and keep reading!**

_My hands were tightly wrapped around Hisana's while she lay in her hospital bed. She smiled weakly up at me while speaking in her quiet raspy voice._

"_Rukia, I hope you always remember how much I love you." She smiled up at me feebly and attempted to squeeze my hand. She spoke these words because she knew what was coming; somehow she knew she wouldn't be able to communicate much longer. Tears were spilling down my face as she said her personal goodbye. I shook my head, unwilling to accept losing her when she was so capable. She was smiling at me like she would in any other situation._

"_Sana, stop. You're going to be fine. They're treating you; the doctors said you should be feeling better." A sob escaped my throat and I felt her other hand push some hair out of my face. "You can't leave me Hisana! Please don't leave me." I began sobbing loudly and nearly collapsed on my knees._

"_I love you, Rukia-ch-"_

A loud piercing noise woke me from my slumber and interrupted the memory that was reliving itself in my sleep. After slapping the snooze button on my alarm, I sat up and wiped my face off. This was the third time this week that I had woken up crying. I turned my alarm off completely and got up, preparing myself for another day at my new school. After getting dressed and heading downstairs I found Byuakuya dressed up in his work clothes. He was slipping on a tie when he noticed me walk into the kitchen. A small forced smile found its way to his face.

"Morning Rukia, did you sleep well?"

"Hm," I folded my arms and gave him a skeptical glance. "Why are you all dressed up?"

"Oh, I got a call from work and they wanted me to take a case. Will you be alright driving yourself to school today?" I was surprised he was ok with going back to his job as a lawyer already but didn't feel like arguing with him about it. After nodding at him, he handed me the keys to Hisana's car and turned his attention back to his tie. I saw him struggle with it and sighed loudly before reaching up and pushing his hands away. He had somehow made a knot with it so I undid the tie completely before correctly tying it. I adjusted and straightened it before pulling away. He smiled down at me before thanking me.

"Yup."

After eating a quick breakfast we both headed out to our cars and left without another word to each other. The whole ride was uncomfortable as I glanced at all of my sisters belongings that were left in the vehicle. Her purse sat in the passenger seat and her work lanyard was still hanging from the rearview mirrors. Again I could smell her in the car, her scent blowing out of the air conditioning vents. After pulling into the student parking lot and parking I rested my head on the steering wheel and tried to keep my composure. My hands tightly clenched the wheel as I took a few deep breaths. Before I could sit my head up I heard a light knock on my window and jumped in my seat. I looked up to see Kon smiling down at me.

"Hey, Rukia, you ok?" I could hear his loud voice from outside. I simply nodded in response and turned off the ignition before stepping out of the car. I grabbed my school bag and locked the car doors. When I looked back up at Kon I noticed that Ichigo was with him. They both smiled down at me and we all fell into step as we headed for the school. Kon's arm brushed against me as he walked close to me, I tried to put some distance between us but failed. As we walked up to the large group of people who had easily accepted me, a few of them turned their attention to us and gave us a welcoming smile. Tatsuki grinned at Ichigo before speaking.

"What are you guys, her bodyguards?"

"Really. Have you ever heard of something called personal space, Kon?" Renji laughed under his breath and jokingly shoved Kon back by his shoulder. Kon bumped into me, knocking me into a random locker. My eyes widened slightly and my hands flew up defensively, lightly nudging the boy away. He turned his head towards me, looking concerned.

"Sorry, you ok?" I smiled slightly and nodded.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Gees Renji, watch what you're doing," Kon laughed and attempted to shove him back but hardly budged the giant. Everyone just laughed off Kon and Hisagi turned to me.

"So, how do you like school? I hope none of us have scared you too bad, like Ichigo. I mean he is pretty frightening with that angry look on his face." I noticed Tatsuki laugh along with a couple of the others. Ichigo smiled, still managing a slight glare.

"Any sane person would be in shitty mood 24/7 if they had to deal with you people." A smile found its way on my face at his words. Hisagi didn't hide his amusement, a grin still in place as he shrugged.

"Hey, you're free to leave anytime. I'm sure we'd all be a little less stressed without you here." Before Ichigo could say anything Michiru chimed in.

"Don't say that! That's so mean, Hisagi. Don't listen to him Ichigo, we love you." She smiled up at him brightly and laid her hand on his arm. "Even if you are a little…sad." Ichigo laughed and rolled his eyes.

"You'd think the new girl would be the center of your constant teasing, not me." He took a step back, still looking amused, and raised a hand. "I'll see you guys in class." With that Renji turned back to me.

"Don't worry, Rukia, we'll tease you soon enough." I slightly rolled my eyes, my smile widening a bit.

"I can't wait."

Soon after our conversation, the two minute bell rang and we headed towards our class in two small groups. The first few classes passed quickly. I finally got into the routine of taking notes as an attempt to pay attention. I knew education was extremely important to my sister; she was always pushing me to do my best in school. Because of that I didn't want my grades to slip at all. After our third lesson, the teacher dismissed us for lunch. I shoved my notebook back in my school bag and stood, grabbing my lunch from the inside of my desk. Without thought, I followed Ichigo, who was following Renji and Mina, to the roof. Ichigo noticed and turned back towards me and gave me a small smile.

"Hey, everything ok?" I was spacing out and had a delayed reaction.

"Hm? Uh, yeah I'm fine." Ichigo fell into step with me and nodded.

"Can I ask you something?" A serious expression found its way to his face, making me a little nervous.

"Sure," I answered, not knowing what to expect.

"I don't really scare you, do I?" After a few moments to process his question, I let out a laugh.

"What? No. It takes more than a pissy teenage boy to scare me, Ichigo." He smiled down at me, trying to look offended.

"A pissy teenage boy?" He shook his head and continued. "You're one of them now." We both laughed and sat once we reached the rest of the group. Kon sat next to me with Ichigo on my other side.

"Flirting with the new girl already, Ichigo?" Tatsuki grinned at him as we sat down, immediately speaking accusingly. Ichigo blinked a slightly confused expression on his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know speaking to someone was the equivalent of flirting. Gees, Tatsuki, stop flirting with me."

"Ha ha." She glared at him before changing the topic.

The rest of the day went by even faster than the first half. At the end of the day, I heard Michiru talking about the weekend and making group plans. I said a quick goodbye before turning for the door. Renji grabbed my arm and stopped me.

"Hold on a sec," his hand nudged me closer to Michiru.

"What about you, Rukia? Do you wanna go over to Renji's house to hang out tonight?" While thinking it over, I realized that it was Friday, the weekend had snuck up on me.

"Um, I can't I have something I have to do." Michiru cocked her eyebrow, looking slightly disappointed. "I'm visiting someone…" I added to clarify.

"Oh, we'll probably be there all night. Can't you come after you're done?"

"Uh, I guess…I'll have to ask my brother first."

"Ok, great. You have my number so just let me know!" She answered happily. Ichigo stepped closer to everyone, standing behind me.

"Yeah, me and my dad were going to go see my mom. I'll be over around 5:30. I'll see you guys later and Kon you're going to have to find a ride there unless you wanna wait." With that I said a second goodbye and headed for the parking lot. I pulled my phone out and began texting my brother.

**I'm going to be out for an hour or so, a friend wanted to know if I could hang out tonight. Do you care?**

I doubted he would mind and didn't really care if he did. By the time I had the car started I had received his response. Before opening it I looked over at Hisana's purse, grabbed it and threw it in the back seat, along with her work lanyard. I hit the open button and read Byuakuya's answer.

**Of course, just don't be out too late. Where will you be?**

I sighed at his curiosity and began typing my response. I absently pulled my seatbelt on and stuck the key in the ignition.

**My friend Renji's house.**

After starting the car, I turned the AC on and checked my mirrors. After about two minutes, another response came.

**Oh, alright. Just send me the address when you get there and keep your phone on. Have fun, Rukia.**

Instead of answering I tossed my phone in the passenger seat and took off. It took me a while to get to the cemetery where Hisana was buried. She had her plot picked out as soon as she and Byuakuya could afford to buy parallel plots. The cemetery rested within Karkura's limits and was the closest one to our childhood home. After about twenty minutes of driving, I reached my destination and pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car. As I stepped out I noticed that the wind had picked up and it wasn't as hot out as it was earlier that morning. I felt my body tense immensely, the memories of Hisana's funeral hitting me with frightening accuracy.

I made my way to her grave, my entire body feeling numb. When I reached her tombstone, a few tears slid down my eyes. There was a picture of her smiling face above the script written on the stone. _Hisana Kuchiki: Loving wife, mother, and sister_. I fell to my knees and covered my face with my hands, sobbing loudly. While sitting there, missing my sister more than ever, a solid feeling of loneliness resided in me.

I continued to cry, not caring how long I stayed there. After twenty minutes of silence in the cemetery, excluding my sobbing, I heard a few low voices nearby. They gradually got louder and I eventually looked up to see what was going on. A few columns away I saw two tall men, one wearing a long white doctors coats and with dark tall hair. He was grinning down at the other person, who was wearing a school uniform from Karakura High. Then I noticed his spikey orange hair. _Ichigo?_ I thought. Before I could turn away, our eyes met. My body froze and I turned away before wiping tears off my face. Another random but loud sob escaped as I tried to gain some composure. My head was now turned down, my eyes on my hands.

For a few minutes, I was sure Ichigo was going to ignore that he saw me. It was now completely silent; the only ones speaking were the tombstones. I began wondering about the hundreds of people buried in this cemetery. Where were these people's families? Why didn't anyone hurt the way I did? Again I unwillingly let out another loud cry as more tears escaped my eyes. Before I could gain control over my emotions, I was bawling again, my body shaking.

From a distance I heard a low voice say "Ichigo? Where are you going?" His feet were shuffling in the grass but I tried to ignore them. As I sat up to wipe at my eyes I saw Ichigo, kneeling next to me. My eyes widened as he hesitantly rested his hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, Rukia." He offered me a slightly uncomfortable, or maybe concerned, smile. I took a few quick breaths, trying to stop my crying.

"Hey…" Ichigo gestured towards Hisana's picture.

"That your sister?" I simply nodded and continued to wipe off my face. I noticed his eyes move side to side as he read it. "Oh, so you're an aunt?" His words were definitely not what I expected to hear. I gave him a strange look.

"What?" He laughed quietly at my expression before explaining.

"It says she's a mother," Ichigo offered, nodding towards her tombstone. After understanding, I shook my head.

"She was seven months pregnant when she found out about being…sick. A couple weeks later she had a miscarriage." My eyes were down cast as I spoke.

"Oh, I'm so sorry…" I shook my head and wrapped my arms around my knees.

"You don't have to sit over here with me, you obviously came here for a reason." He tensed a little, showing some of his discomfort. "Not that I don't appreciate it or anything. It was really nice of you but you don't have to stay with me, I'll be ok." I forced a small smile on my face and quickly looked up at him. His eyes shifted into a more serious gaze before he answered me.

"Are you sure you're going to be ok?" After hesitating I shook my head.

"No but that's not your problem, you don't have to worry about it." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Doesn't mean I won't," I glanced at him, slightly confused. Before I could say anything, the man in the doctors coat approached us with a concerned expression on his face.

"Sorry to interupt but we don't have all day, Ichigo." There was a small smile on the man's face but Ichigo simply rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, I know, Dad."

"Who's your friend, son?"

"This is Rukia Kuchiki, she's a new student at my school." His expression was now blank, like he was ready for his father to leave. Instead of putting distance between us, the older Kurosaki kneeled down next to Hisana's tombstone and held his hand out to me. I hesitated before shaking it.

"Hello, Rukia." He smiled down at me, looking more like Ichigo. "I'm Isshin Kurosaki, it's nice to meet you." Isshin glanced down at the stone before he continued. "Is this your mother?" Ichigo shook his head and explained.

"She's Rukia's sister." Both Kurosaki's read the tombstone and I could see Isshin's eyes sweep over the date. His expression changed slightly, his eyebrows turned down.

"Oh, I'm sorry for your loss. You must really miss her." I nodded and turned away from him. "If you don't mind me asking, how did she die?" Both Ichigo and I looked up at him, slightly surprised by his blunt statement but I decided that there was no harm in telling him. It wouldn't make me hurt anymore than I already did.

"Um...four months ago she was diagnosed with cancer. A few weeks after we found out, they told her she had developed a brain tumor." I sighed tiredly and pushed some loose hair behind my ear. "It ate away at her brain until she slipped into a coma and then..." I felt a glare form on my brow as I read Byuakuya's name on the tombstone in front of us.

"Then what?" Isshin pushed me to finish and I felt anger and lonliness build up inside me, causing tears to form in my eyes.

"Then my dumbass brother made the decision to take her off life-support." I clenched my jaw and shook my head. "I don't know why I told you all that, I'm sorry." Isshin just smiled warmly and stood, stretching his legs.

"Don't be sorry, its always good to talk about things that upset you. I'm glad you could share Hisana's story." He nudged Ichigo with his foot and held his hand out to him. "Come on Son, lets go see your mother before we have to leave." Ichigo nodded and stood. "It was nice meeting both of you."

"Bye, Rukia. I guess I'll see you tonight." I noticed Isshin give Ichigo a funny look but ignored it and nodded.

"Yeah, see ya." I gathered my shoes that I had kicked off earlier and stood. "Thank you, both of you, for listening to me." They both smiled at me, making them look extremely alike. Isshin opened his mouth to say something but stopped and glanced over my shoulder. I furrowed my brow and turned to see Byuakuya standing behind me.

"Rukia? What are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to be at a friend's house." He looked down at me, confusion written all over his face. His eyes shifted and I noticed him looking over the Kurosaki's. "Hello, do we know you?"

Isshin smiled and stepped in front of Ichigo before shaking my brothers hand. "Hello, I'm Isshin Kurosaki and this is my son Ichigo. Our kids go to the same school." Byakuya shook his head slightly and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Oh, no, Rukia's my little sister." Isshin nodded but I looked up at Byakuya and spoke before he could.

"What are you doing here?" My brother smiled down at me, turning his body towards me.

"I was picking some things up from my old office and on my way back I saw the car. I thought you had plans?" I simply nodded before speaking.

"I planned on coming here before going to my friends." Isshin got our attention and waved goodbye while taking a few steps back towards the earlier occupied grave.

"It was nice meeting both of you but we have to go. Goodbye." Both smiled slightly before heading back. I slightly pulled away from Byuakuya and slid my shoes on. I turned towards the entrance and headed towards the car. Byuakuya followed me, only a few steps behind.

"Are you alright Rukia?"

"Hm." I reached the small vehicle and unlocked it. Just as I pulled on the door, I felt my brother grab my arm carefully.

"Please answer me Rukia," his voice was soft and his eyebrows were turned down in concern.

"No, I'm not alright. Just leave me alone!" His grip tightened on my arm.

"...I'm sorry, Rukia. I'm sorry but..."

"But what?"

"Rukia, you didn't have to make that decision...You don't understand that it wasn't easy." He turned away from me and continued. "It was the hardest thing I've ever done in my life."

"Then why did you choose for her to die? She still had time, she was still alive!"

"Because-" I raised my hands angrily, cutting him off.

"No, you did this. Its your fault," I opened the car door as I spoke and got in. I fought the tears that were building up in my eyes and drove away, leaving him behind. He did this to us, he made me miserable and took my sister away from me. He wouldn't listen to me so I wasn't going to listen to him.

I quickly drove to our house, making it there before Byuakuya, and stomped inside. After reaching my room, I quickly grabbed an old backpack and stuffed it with clothes for tonight. Originally I didn't plan on staying all night at Renji's but I did not want to be stuck at home with my brother. I grabbed the last of my things and zipped up my bag. While getting in my car, I heard the familiar hum of Byuakuya's pull up to our house. I didn't give him any chance to stop me and quickly backed out before heading out of our neighborhood.

Once I reached the entrance, I pulled out my phone and dialed Michiru's number before holding the device up to my ear using my shoulder. After just two rings I heard her high pitched voice answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey Michiru, I'm leaving now. Can you just give me directions to Renji's house from Main Street?" I tried my best to keep the anger out of my voice but I knew she could still detect it.

"Uh, sure." Without asking me about it, she began directing me until I pulled straight into Renji's driveway. There were three other cars parked outside of the house and I suspected that it was just some of the others already there. Before I got off the phone with Michiru she spoke up again.

"I'm not there yet but I'll be there in like twenty minutes. Feel free to let yourself in, I'm sure someone's on the look out for others." She laughed at herself and said goodbye before disconnecting.

I turned off the ignition and slid out of my car, bag in hand. After slipping my backpack onto my shoulders I slowly approached the door. Before I made it to the front porch Kon walked out, following a taller and older looking version of Renji. His hair wasn't as long and it was a brown color. He had no tatoos like Renji did but other than that, they were nearly identical. The taller man pulled out a cigarette and lit it. He saw me approaching the house and smiled at me before nudging Kon. Once Kon saw me, his face lit up and he quickly walked off the porch to meet me.

"Hey, Rukia. Did you make it here ok?" I nodded glanced back up at the house. Kon gestured towards the smoking man before he continued. "That's Shenji, he's Renji's dad." I smiled up at him and nodded.

"I sort of figured that much." We walked back to the porch together, again little distance between us, and Shenji stood.

"You must be Rukia, its nice to meet you." He grinned and tossed his half smoked cigarette on the ground, crushing it with his shoe. We shook hands quickly and turned towards the house. "Kon, just take her downstairs so she can put her stuff down and then take her to Ren, ok?"

" 'Kay." I followed him through the kitchen where Hisagi sat at the table across from Tatsuki, who both greeted me, and down the stairs to Renji's room. His room consisted of a larger living area with a couch and TV that sat right next to his sleeping area where his bed resided. Both our attention rested on the bed before we realized what was going on.

Sitting on the bed was Renji with Mina on his lap with her arms wrapped around his neck and her mouth pressed up against his. His hands slid down to her hips and pushed at her shirt before Kon started yelling.

"Hey! Will you two knock it off, you have people over Renji, for God's sake." The couple quickly sat up straight with surprised expressions but Renji brushed it off and greeted me as if nothing happened. Mina's face was tinted red and she stood from the bed before apologizing, a small smile resting on her face.

"Sorry, sorry." Her hands went up defensively and she walked over towards us. She greeted me and took my bag from me. "Yay, you get to stay over? That's great." She led us back upstairs, ignoring Renji's complaints, and took us to Renji's mom. Said woman was shorter than I expected, she was almost as short as me. She had long red hair, the same shade as her son, that reached down to her hips. A wide smile rested on her face and she wrapped her arms around me before even greeting me.

"Hello! I'm Ren Abarai, you must be Rukia." She let me go and took a step back, still grinning at me happily. I simply nodded and gave her a small smile. "Hey, Kon." She hugged him next and quickly dismissed herself. "I have to go grab some stuff at the store for dinner but I'll be back soon. If you guys are hungry there are some leftovers in the fridge. Make yourself at home, and make sure she's comfortable alright Sweety?" Her instructions were directed to Kon before she grabbed her purse and walked out to the porch. I turned to see her hug her husband before heading for her car. Once my attention was back on Kon, I noticed him open his mouth like he was about to say something. Before anything came out, he was cut off by Michiru's voice.

"Hey Rukia, Kon." She smiled at us as she walked in the door, followed by Ichigo. Kon smiled and waved at the two.

"Hey guys."

"Hi," I stated, my voice lower than before as I smiled weakly at them. They both continued through the kitchen to take their things downstairs. Before Michiru made it to the stairs, Hisagi stopped her, his arm around her waist. My mind flashed back to the run-in Kon and I had with Renji and I cringed inside slightly but was surprised when Hisagi simply kissed her on the cheek. She smiled and pat his head before following Ichigo down the stairs. Kon laughed and headed towards the kitchen, pulling out two chairs for us. I followed him slowly and slid into a chair.

"You just got rejected," Kon laughed at Hisagi who smiled back.

"Coming from the kid who's never even had a girlfriend."

"I'm not like you and Renji who think they can't go a day without one." Hisagi's eyebrows furrowed at Kon's words.

"What are you talking about? First of all, don't put me in the same category as Renji and second of all, I've been dating Michiru for nearly eight months. Eight consecutive months, there were no other girls in that time period."

"I know but I knew you before you started hanging out with us, you were exactly like Renji. As soon as a girlfriend would break up with you, you'd go hunt down another one. And don't try denying it, Tatsuki told me about that one time when that Ryo broke up with you and you asked Tatsuki out the same night." I smiled at their argument and looked up at Hisagi expectantly. Tatsuki laughed and nudged Hisagi with her elbow.

"You didn't think I'd keep that to myself did you, Sagi?" She smiled but Hisagi simply shrugged, dismissing the conversation. Before anyone could respond, Michiru came up to the table with both Ichigo and Renji following. They crowded around the open end of the table curiously.

"Keep what to yourself?" Michiru asked, a smile on her face.

"Hisagi asked Tatsuki out a few months before you two started dating," Kon answered.

"You did?" She smiled down at him before resting her elbows on the table. "She rejected you, didn't she?"

"Of course I did," she claimed, gaining a few laughs.

"Aw, its ok. There are other fish in the sea." Michiru reached up to him playfully touch his face but he gripped her hand before it made contact with his face.

"Don't make me break this hand," Hisagi responded with a small smile on his face.

"Why would you do that? If you break it, she can't use it." Renji raised his eyebrows while speaking. Hisagi's face fell along with pretty much everyone elses and rolled his eyes.

"See Kon, completely different categories."

The conversation shifted to lighter subjects like school and what we were going to do. After sitting at the table for a half an hour, Ren returned and started bringing in some grocery bags. Everyone stood and went to grab the remaining bags. I sat akwardly in the kitchen while they started putting groceries away. Once they were done, Ren told all the guys to go away and started instructing each one of us girls. Apparently we were going to make dinner, something I wasn't aware of.

Before Ren had started, Tatsuki grabbed my arm and pulled me through the door and dragged me to Renji's room. She didn't say anything at first but when we reached the foot of the steps she turned to me.

"Cooking with Ren is torture, I thought I'd save you too since you're the new girl. She makes everything from scratch and works us to death. They'll manage." She smiled and let go of my arm before leading me into Renji's little living room. All four guys were sitting on the couch watching some TV program. Tatsuki took a seat on the arm and watched the television without a word. I stood off to the side akwardly until Kon noticed me. He turned to Tatsuki and nudged her lightly.

"Hey, Tat, why don't you go sit on your boyfriend's lap and let Rukia sit down." He smiled up at her jokingly as he referred to Hisagi. She smacked him over the head and wedged herself between Kon and Ichigo.

"Nah, I'm into girls Kon." Hisagi smiled at both Tatsuki and Kon as he spoke. She reached over Ichigo to punch him in the gut.

"Shut the hell up and scoot over. I'm suffocating over here." As they spoke I sat on the arm of the couch and pulled my legs up, sitting Indian style. Renji turned his attention towards me, no longer focused on the TV program.

"What about you, Rukia? You have a boyfriend?" I blinked, surprised by his question and a little uncomfortable with the topic.

"Uh, no."

"Not even at your old school?" Hisagi asked after turning slightly on the couch.

"Nope," I stared back at them as they both nodded.

"How come?" I sat there in silence for a few moments before thinking of something to say.

"Because, I'm a lesbian." All five of them turned to look at me with gaping expressions, shock all over their faces. I couldn't stop myself from laughing and covered my mouth to muffle the sound.

"Are you serious? Prove it, kiss Tatsuki. " Renji was smiling at me now, no longer surprised. I wrinkled my nose and shook my head.

"I was joking, dear God." As I spoke Tatsuki reached over and punched Renji angrily. Hisagi was still looking at me, unconvinced.

"I dunno about you…" I rolled my eyes, a smile still in place.

"It was a joke, you can all calm down now."

Before the conversation could go any further, Michiru came down and told us dinner was done. We all stood and headed towards the the kitchen. We all squeezed ourselves around the table and ate. Dinner was full of conversations, multiple ones going on at the same time. Some involved everyone, some were between just a few of us but they all made sure to include me. It was the best meal I had experienced in such a long time. Everyone was laughing and nagging each other, it was extremely entertaining.

After dinner, Ren and Renji cleared the table and the rest of us headed downstairs. Everyone just sort of dispersed, some sat on the couch watching TV, Mina laid on Renji's bed, Hisagi and Michiru sat in the recliner talking among themselves and I didn't know where to go. Ichigo came up behind me, walked around me and sat on the coffee table, facing me.

"Having fun?" He asked, our eyes nearly level. I nodded and crossed my arms.

"Yeah, you hang out with some interesting people." Ichigo smiled and let out a laugh.

"Yes, I do." He pointed at me accusingly. "I have a feeling you are going to fit in just fine." I couldn't help grinning at his words.

"Why do you say that?" As his smile widened I noticed his eyes soften, his usual glare completely gone.

"You know how to mess with them. Like that lesbian joke, you could not have said anything more perfect to get them off your back." He leaned back on his hands and smiled up at me. I shrugged in response.

"It's a gift. I have amazing people skills." There was a hint of sarcasm in my voice and he caught it.

"Don't say it like that, I'm sure you're likeable. Well, maybe." I narrowed my eyes at him.

"Ha ha."

"But seriously, are you feeling better?" I managed to continue to smile and not show my discomfort. Ichigo had been extremely nice to me but I really didn't want to talk about it.

"I'm fine, but thanks." He nodded and gave me a friendly smile before patting my arm roughly. I smiled and rolled my eyes. Ichigo opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Renji.

"Hey, Ichigo, look what I got." He walked up behind me and held up a 24 pack of beer. I heard Ichigo laugh quietly as I looked up at Renji's amused face. Renji sat on the arm of the couch and pulled a can out of the box before tossing it to Ichigo. He gave one to both Tatsuki and Hisagi and went to hand me one but was cut off by Michiru.

"No, Renji! We are not doing this again, put it back." Her hands were on her hips as she gave him a dirty look. He smiled up at her and held a can out to me.

"Uh, no thanks."

"Don't let Michiru scare you, it's fine." He edged the can closer to me.

"No, really, I don't want it." He shrugged, grinned, and held it out to Michiru. Her glare deepened as she pulled the beer out of his hand and shoved it back in the box.

"Stop, Renji, or I'll put them back myself." She returned her hands to her hips and continued. "Last time you did this, I-" She was cut off by the sound of a can being opened. We all turned to Ichigo who had opened and taken a sip of the beer. He froze while the can was still up to his mouth. "Ichigo, stop." She pulled the drink out of his hands and turned to Hisagi. "Give it, now."

" 'Chiru, it's not a big deal." He smiled up at her, trying to convince her. Her expression didn't change and she didn't say anything in response. She simply continued to hold her hand out expectantly. Hisagi sighed and handed it over.

"Look, Michiru, if you don't like it you can leave." Renji's face had fallen, a glare plastered on his face now. Her glare deepened and she threw Hisagi's can in the box and then sat Ichigo's on the coffee table.

"Fine, Hisagi, take me home. If you want to come back and drink, go ahead." She turned and took a few steps toward her bag. Before she could cross the room Hisagi stood and grabbed her arm.

"No, Michiru, just ignore Renji. Look, I won't drink. Just let them make their own stupid decisions and ignore them." He held her gaze and tugged on her arm. "Please stay." Michiru thought about what he said and eventually sighed.

"Fine." She glared at Renji again and walked over to claim the recliner again. Renji just rolled his eyes and ignored her. I turned back to Ichigo who had picked up his beer and resumed drinking it. He smiled up at me but I simply rolled my eyes, a smile resting on my face.

As the night progressed Renji, Ichigo, and Tatsuki progressively got drunk. They were the only three to drink and had finished the box of beer within 2 or 3 hours. They started acting out of character but I think Tatsuki was the worst. She could hardly walk across the room without falling over. She was also a little…touchy. At one point she was sitting on Kon's lap, her hands in his hair and she kept asking him to kiss her. His face was beat red and he just pushed her away until she made her way to Hisagi. It was pretty entertaining but both Renji and Ichigo were just as amusing. Ichigo laughed at every single thing said and Renji stared off like he wasn't even aware of where he was.

Once it started to get late I could feel my eyelids grow heavy. I tended to get tired quickly, especially since dealing with the loss of Hisana. It was like my emotions were draining my energy and after that fight with Byuakuya I was exhausted. I was sitting on the couch with my head rested against the back of the couch. My eyes were closed and I was so close to unconciousness when I felt someone plop down next to me. The smell of alcohal hit me hard and when I opened my eyes I saw Ichigo sitting next to me. He looked like he was having just as much trouble staying awake as I was. I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand and held back a yawn.

"You okay?" I lightly nudged him to get his attention. He blinked a few times and looked down at me.

"What?" A smile tugged at his lips as he stared at me disoriented.

"Are you okay? Do you understand what I'm saying to you?" He grinned and nodded.

"I'm good, I'm good. You okay?" He slipped his arms around my shoulders in one not-so-smooth motion and pulled me closer to him.

"Uh, yeah, I was fine until you came over here." I laughed quietly and pulled myself away. "Don't do that." Ichigo persisted and pulled me back, he laid his head on my shoulder and rested his weight against me.

"I'm just getting comfortable."

"While making me uncomfortable?" A smile spread over my face and I pulled completely away from him. After standing I turned back to look at him. "Goodnight, Ichigo." He gave me his best upset face and waved me off. I crawled onto the matress they had laid out for us and got comfortable on the opposite side, far from a sleeping Kon who was being used as a pillow by a passed out Tatsuki.

I pulled the blanket up to my shoulders and sunk down into a relaxed possition before closing my eyes. I found it easier to keep my mind away from my sister with all these people around. They sure made things interesting and there wasn't a single boring moment while with them. I was thankful for the distraction and was able to slip off to sleep easily for the first time in nearly three months.

**Here it is, it's probably the longest chapter I've ever written and I hope its fun and enjoyable. I hope you like this story and bare with me as I move forward with this plot! I would love for you all to review, give me suggestions or just let me know what you like about it.**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm back, I hope this chapter doesn't take as long as the last one but I'm extremely happy for actual reviews. Please feel free to make suggestions or just tell me what you like or dislike about the story. Here is chapter 3, please R&R! :) **

I felt the person next to me shift in their sleep, pulling me further from the edge of the mattress. My eyes slid open and I rubbed them with the back of my hand. I stretched my limbs and turned on my side as I felt that tug again. After looking over my shoulder I realized that that pull was Ichigo. His arms were tightly wrapped around my waist and every time he moved, he pulled me with him. My eyes widened slightly and I pushed at his arms, trying to get him off.

"Ichigo, Ichigo wake up." I spoke in hushed tones and shook his shoulders. He turned his head towards my voice and squinted his eyes at me.

"What?"

"Will you get off me?" Before I could finish what I was saying he turned his head and buried his face in his pillow. " Ichigo, don't ignore me, get up." I heard him air snore and sighed loudly. There was a shift on the mattress as Kon sat up and glanced down at us. A smile spread over his face.

"Need some help?" I simply nodded in response. Kon grabbed Ichigo's forearms and pulled until Ichigo let go. He pulled away from Kon and blindly threw a punch at him.

"Stop touching me Kon." A glare formed on his brow as he sat up and practically knocking me off the bed.

"Stop touching Rukia." He smiled up at Ichigo and nudged him in the ribs.

"What are you talking about?" Kon opened his mouth to respond but stopped when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs. Ren appeared in the doorway smiling at us.

"You guys are finally awake, do you think you could wake up the others-" She stopped to look around the room. Her eyes widened when she saw the dozens of empty beer cans on the ground. "What the hell did you guys do?" She glued her hands to her hips and glared down at us. Before we could answer she stormed over to Renji's bed and shook him awake. "Get up, Renji! What did you do?" He sat up and covered his head with his hands.

"Shut up, Mom. My head is killing me."

"I wonder why! Get up and all of you get upstairs, now!" She turned and stormed up the stairs angrily. I heard Renji sigh and get up as he started talking to Mina. Ichigo turned to Tatsuki who was still sleeping while clutching onto Kon's arm. He smiled and shoved her, pushing her onto her back. Her eyes shot open and Kon pulled his arm away.

"Will you get off me already?" He smiled down at her and ruffled up her hair. She sat up and pushed his hand away.

"You think you'd be more excited about a girl touching you, Kon." Instead of taking offense, Kon tapped her chin and laughed.

"You did enough touching last night, don't you remember?" Tatsuki's face tinted red as she shook her head.

"Shut up, Kon, you're full of shit."

"What are you talking about Kon?" Ichigo cocked an eyebrow and gaved him a confused expression.

"She wouldn't leave me alone yesterday. All night she was sitting on my lap, touching me. It was extremely awkward." I couldn't help but smile, remembering how she was running her fingers through his hair. Ichigo laughed loudly.

"That's hilarious!"

"I did not, you're just lying."

"I wish I was lying Tatsuki, you were seriously making me uncomfortable." Tatsuki just rolled her eyes and ignored him. Kon reached up an started messing with her hair, pushing it out of her face, mocking her actions from the night before. She laughed and pushed him away.

"Knock it off you freak." As she spoke, Michiru sat up and smiled at us.

"Were you mimicking Tatsuki?" Kon nodded and they both laughed. Renji walked through th room with Mina towards the stairs.

"Come on guys, before my mom has a stroke." Everyone got up and followed Renji upstairs. Once we reached the living room, we found Ren and Shenji standing there waiting for us. Without them telling us to, we all squeezed onto the couch and loveseat.

"What were you thinking? I can't believe how irresponsible you all acted! Not only did you drink underage but you stole the alcohal from-" She stopped when she saw Michiru's hand shoot up. "What?"

"I just want to say that over half of us don't deserve to be yelled at. Most of us didn't drink and I tried to stop them." Ren's eyebrows turned down, a confused expression now resting on her face.

"Well who did?"

"Renji, Ichigo, and Tatsuki."

"Snitch," Renji said under his breath.

"I'm not going to get yelled at for this Renji, I told you to put them back and you chose to ignore me."

"Renji, how could you be so stupid? You know better!"

"Yeah, that was so irresponsible of you. Now I have no more beer, thanks a lot." Ren smacked Shenji's arem and told him to shut up.

"It's not a big deal, Mom."

"It so is a big deal. You are so grounded Renji, no more friends over and that includes Mina. You come straight home from school and no more going to friends houses."

"Oh my god, you're overreacting." Renji rolled his eyes and stared off, ignoring her.

"Shut up, now all of you get dressed and I'll make you breakfast." Everyone got off the couch and headed back down the stairs.

After breakfast Ren sent everyone home and by noon we were all heading out to our cars. Kon and Ichigo were behind me as I headed towards my sisters vehicle because Ichigo's truck was parked behind me. As I opened my door I felt a hand grab my arm. I turned around to see Ichigo, his face blank and his eyes giving away his fatigue.

"Hey, sorry you had to get yelled at the first time you came over. It probably wasn't the best first impression." He smiled and looked back at the house. I shrugged and returned the gesture.

"Its fine, I had fun." Before Ichigo could say anything else, Kon took a few steps closer to us and leaned back against my car.

"Yeah, you should come over to Ichigo's house this weekend. His dad never gets mad." Kon grinned at me and didn't even look at Ichigo for approval.

"Uh, I dunno. My brother's probably going to be pretty upset when I get home, I don't think he'll want me to leave again." Kon's eyebrows furrowed.

"Why is he going to be upset?"

"We sort of got in a fight yesterday." I shrugged it off and took a step closer to the car.

"Oh, well you should still ask. I'll be over there all weekend anyway." I smiled up at Ichigo who rolled his eyes.

"This is news to me, Kon."

"Are you saying I have to go home, Ichigo?" A frown found its way to his face. Ichigo shook his head before continuing.

"I was just kidding around, you can stay over." He turned his head back to me. "If you wanna come hang out with Kon, I guess I could tolerate you." A chuckle escaped my throat.

"How kind of you. Still, I'm not sure. I'll let you know." I turned to throw my bag in the passenger seat and by the time I turned back to them Kon had pulled a pen out of his pocket. He grabbed my wrist and started printing his number on the back of my hand.

"Just text me when you find out, 'kay?" Ichigo laughed and looked away, scratching the back of his neck.

"Alright, well I'll talk to you guys later." I waved and slid into my seat. Ichigo raised his hand in a lazy goodbye and pushed my door shut.

After waiting for Ichigo to back up, I pulled out of Renji's driveway and headed towards my house. The drive took only about fifteen minutes and as I pulled up next to Byuakuya's car. I did not look forward to going inside but willed myself to grab my bag and head towards the door. Once I reached the door I turned the handle, surprised to find that it wasn't locked and took a few steps in. I listened for any movement but the house was silent. Byuakuya couldn't have been sleeping, he never slept in past eight. I tossed my bag on the couch and headed for the kitchen. As I entered the kitchen I saw Byuakuya sitting at the table, resting on his elbows with his back to me. He turned when he heard me, looking angry and exhausted.

"Rukia! Where have you been? I told you not to stay out too late; I've been waiting up for you all night." He rubbed his eyes and I noticed that he was wearing the same suit from yesterday.

"I told you where I was." I opened the fridge and reached for a bottle of water but he grabbed my arm and pulled me back into the conversation.

"You never sent me the address like I asked you to and you didn't tell me you were going to be there all night. I was freaking out, Rukia."

"I'm fine, leave me alone." I attempted to pull my arm away but he only tightened his grip.

"No, Rukia, I understand you aren't going to listen to me but you have to tell me where you're going. I don't care if you make plans without asking just tell me where you'll be." His expression was no longer mad, just upset. "Even if you're mad at me." I sighed and nodded.

"Fine, later tonight I'm going to hang out with my friend Kon. Happy?"

"Where is that?"

"I don't know his address yet. I'll be at Ichigo's house." Byuakuya's expression gave away his confusion.

"That kid from the cemetery?" I nodded. "You two are friends?"

"Yeah, I'll send you the address as soon as I get it. Will you let me go now?" He sighed and released my arm.

"I'm sorry, I was just really worried about you." I noticed his nose wrinkle slightly. "Why do you smell like alcohol?"

"Renji took his dad's beer but he got caught."

"That doesn't explain why you smell like alcohol." I let out an annoyed sigh.

"I was in the room when he got drunk, I didn't drink if that's what you're worried about. I'm not stupid Byuakuya."

"I know but I'm not exactly happy that your friends were getting drunk." Instead of answering I simply shrugged and grabbed a bottle of water. After opening the drink and taking a sip, I headed out the kitchen and turned back to my brother.

"I'm not going to do anything dumb, so don't worry about it. Okay?" He nodded and laid his hand on my head.

"I know, your sister raised you well." A small smile spread over his face and he gave me a quick hug.

I pulled away, grabbed my bag and headed up the stairs without another word. I threw my bag on the floor of my bedroom and pulled my phone out of my pocket and started typing out a message to Kon.

**Hey Kon, this is Rukia. I can come over but my brother wants Ichigo's address.**

After sitting my phone on the nightstand next to my bed, I pulled my blankets over me and got comfortable. I stared at my ceiling as I listened to Byuakuya walk up the stairs. I figured he was just going to bed, he looked exhausted earlier. Instead of passing my door, he stopped and knocked before opening the door and stepping in.

"Hey, I'm going to take a nap. If you get hungry you can order something or grab some leftovers. It's up to you." I nodded and rubbed my eyes.

"Ok, I dunno when I'm leaving but I'll send you the address as soon as I get it."

"Alright." I thought he would leave but instead he crossed the room and placed his hands on my head. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head in a fatherly fashion. Surprised, I blinked as he straightened and stepped away from my bed. "I love you, Rukia." Once he realized I wasn't going to respond he turned and left. As the door shut my phone went off, lighting up and vibrating to let me know that I had received a new message. I opened it quickly to take my mind off of Byuakuya's strange actions.

**Hey Rukia! Um, I don't really know his address but I can direct you from your neighborhood. Ichigo can give you it when you get here. Is that ok?**

I quickly began texting back and hit send before sitting my phone back down.

**Yeah that's fine, uh when do you want me to come over?**

I only waited a few minutes before I heard my phone go off again. I picked it up and opened the message.

**Uh, my parents are being a little difficult and they won't let me go over to Ichigo's until 4 but if you want to go before then he won't care. Just let me know when and I'll call you to tell you how to get there.**

My fingers started running over the keypad as I spelled out my reply.

**Okay, thanks for the invite. Now I won't be stuck with my brother. :) **

I could hear Byuakuya's soft snores through our thin walls as I laid my phone on my stomach. Guilt started pulsing through me; I felt bad for keeping him up all night but pushed those thoughts away.

**Believe me; I know how it feels to be stuck home with family. I'm glad you can get out of your house:P**

My eyebrows furrowed in confusion but I thought asking would be nosy. As I was typing out my response, I got another message from Kon.

**Ichigo just texted me and said his dad wanted you to come over as soon as possible. I guess he's excited to meet you :) **

At first I wasn't sure what to say but after a few moments I decided now was better than sitting around for a few hours with nothing to do.

**Ok, well I guess I'll get going. Give me a few minutes and I'll call you for directions.**

I quickly glanced at the digital clock on my phone to see that it was going on 1:30. Afterwards I stood and grabbed a pair of jeans out of my closet. I hastily changed and grabbed my purse off my closet floor. While heading down the stairs and out to my car, I called Kon. He directed me to Ichigo's house and when I pulled into the driveway, I noticed the sign saying "Kurosaki Clinic". While stepping out of my car and closing my phone I saw Kon in the neighbor's window waving at me. I couldn't help but smile and wave back. Before I even reached the house, the front door swung open.

"Rukia, I'm so glad you could come over." Isshin stood in the doorway and grinned at me, acting more lively than the first time we met. I gave him a small smile.

"Thanks for having me over." I was swiftly ushered into the house.

"Of course, it's not every day that Ichigo has a girl over. I'm surprised he didn't scare you off with his face." I couldn't stop myself from laughing as Ichigo walked into the room.

"God, Dad, will you shut up. I have the worst headache." Isshin grabbed his son in a head lock and dug his knuckles into his skull.

"Still feeling that hangover, son?" He grinned and continued until Ichigo freed himself.

"Ow! Get off me." He pushed Isshin away and rubbed his head. He looked up at me and rolled his eyes. "Now you know what my father is really like, I'm sorry." I shook my head and smiled.

"He's funny." Ichigo rolled his eyes again and turned towards a set of stairs.

"Come on," he said without looking back at me. I followed him up the stairs and into his room. He sat at his desk and turned towards me. "You didn't waste any time getting here." His earlier glare was now gone and a small smile rested on his face.

"Kon told me your dad wanted to me come over as soon as I could." I shrugged and continued. "It's not like I had anything else to do at home."

"You didn't wanna spend any quality time with your brother?" His smiled widened as I sat on the edge of his neatly made bed. I narrowed my eyes before answering.

"God, no. I can't stand talking to him let alone being around him."

"Why do you hate him so much?" His expression grew more serious and he rested his weight on his knees. I turned my head away from him and glared at the wall.

"I already told you."

"Because he decided to take your sister off of life support?"

"You don't think that's a good enough reason?" My gaze shifted to Ichigo whose face was completely solemn now.

"No, I understand why you're angry but…" He trailed off and shook his head. "Never mind, it's really not my business, sorry."

"No, what? But what?" He sighed and hesitantly continued.

"What did you want to do? Do you think you would have been able to make that decision?" I felt my body stiffen and my hands clenched into fists.

"I wouldn't have killed her!" My eyes filled with tears as I yelled at Ichigo. Concern showed itself on his face and he reached over to pat my arm.

"Look, I'm sorry. You don't owe me any explanation and we don't have to talk about it." After slightly pulling away, I nodded and rubbed my eyes. "I'm sorry, Rukia."

"It's fine, sorry for yelling." He shook his head and opened his mouth to talk but was cut off by a loud crashing sound coming from Kon's house that was followed by the sound of glass breaking. Ichigo just sighed and ran his hand through his hair.

"Is everything ok over there?" I glanced out his window at Kon's home, concerned about the loud noises.

"It's his parents. They're…they're both addicted to drugs, hard drugs. They don't spend any time with him and whenever he's home he usually locks himself in his room." Ichigo shook his head again, looking worried.

"Is that why he's always hanging out with you, to get away from them?" He nodded and looked up at me.

"Yeah, he usually spends all his free time here. That is if they'll let him. His mom gets on his back about it a lot telling him that he's burdening us and that we'll eventually get sick of him coming over and kick him out. It really gets to him."

"That's really sad. Poor Kon, I don't see how he can be so happy all the time." A frown found its way on my face. "They don't hurt him do they?"

"They have before but it's not a regular thing. I wouldn't say he's being physically abused but he's been beaten two or three times and once in a while they'll hit him."

"That's horrible."

"Just don't mention it ok?"

"Of course not," I glanced out the window again. There was another crashing sound that came from the house and his mother started screaming at the top of her lungs.

"Kon! Get your ass out here now!" Ichigo stood as her voice carried in through the window. I looked up at him and followed his lead.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to go tell my dad, I'll be right back." He turned and left without another word. I wasn't sure what to do and continued to stand looking intently through one of Kon's windows. After a few minutes Ichigo came back and sat back down.

"What did he say?"

"He's going to be watching for anything and if he can tell it's getting out of hand he'll-" Ichigo was interrupted by the loud sound of glass breaking. We both froze, listened for something and soon heard his mother yelling again.

"What the fuck is wrong with you? You think you're too good for this family? Is that it? Answer me!"

"Shut the hell up, you dumb bitch!" A deep voice, presumably Kon's father, yelled at his mom. I turned to Ichigo.

"Do they realize how…obvious they're being?" Ichigo shook his head.

"I honestly don't think they're aware most of their actions." He glanced out his window and nodded. "My dad's going to go get him; I just hope he's not hurt." I nodded in agreement. "Sorry you had to come at such a bad time, I didn't know his parents were being like this."

"It's not your fault, besides I'm fine. I'm just worried about Kon." Ichigo smiled.

"You just don't know how to dodge drama do you?" He laughed and nudged me, pushing me back on the bed. "It's official, you're cursed. I better stay away from you."

"You know, you tease me a lot. Are you trying to compensate for the way your friends tease you?"

"Of course not, it's just super easy and you can stop saying 'you're friends'. They're your friends too, you know, even if you don't want to claim them." He smiled at me and playfully punched my arm. Isshin rushed into his room before I could say anything, a stern expression on his face.

"Ichigo, Kon's hurt, hurry to the clinic." With that he ran off, leaving as quickly as he arrived.

"Shit." Ichigo sighed and stood. "Do you want to come? You might be able to cheer him up a little."

"Uh…if you think he won't mind, sure."

"I think it would make him very happy." I nodded and followed him down the stairs and into his father's clinic that was connected to the house. When we entered the room, my attention immediately went to Kon who was sitting with his hands covering his eyes and blood dripping from his forehead. We approached him quietly until we stood in front of him, still not getting his attention. Ichigo spoke up and put on a pair of gloves his dad handed him.

"Hey Kon, get in another slap fight with your mom?" He weakly tried to make a joke out of the situation and surprisingly got a laugh out of Kon.

"Not really," he answered quietly. I heard him sigh but his amusement quickly turned into cries. He let out a few sobs and started rubbing his eyes. "I hate her so much, Ichigo." I felt something in my chest clench tight and laid my hand on his shoulder. Kon turned to me, his eyes giving away his surprised, and shifted his gaze elsewhere. He looked embarrassed and didn't say anything more.

"Kon, are you ok?" I couldn't stop the concern on my face. He nodded as he wiped away tears that were running down his face. He wouldn't say anything to anyone after he noticed me there. Isshin and Ichigo worked quickly bandaging up his head and stopping the bleeding. Apparently Kon's mother had hit him over the head with a beer bottle when he refused to go buy her more cigarettes.

Once they were done, Kon sat in the clinic for over a half an hour and Isshin sat with him while Ichigo and I sat in the kitchen waiting for them to come out. While waiting, I reflected on Kon's attitude. He was always in such a great mood and smiled all the time. I couldn't imagine how he did that. Over half the time I smiled it was forced and I was simply putting on a façade for others. Kon, he was always so sincere and happy and his situation was so much worse than mine. I rested my head in my hands, feeling selfish and worried while guilt pulsed through me.

**Okay, here's chapter three. I'm sorry for the strange ending but it's getting late and I already know how chapter four will be planned out. I hope you all like it even though Kon was sort of OC but I honestly think he would act this way to abuse. Please review! :3**


	4. Chapter 4

**Ok, I'm back again and I just wanted to thank all of you who have added this story and me to your favs and alerts. However, I'm also pretty disappointed that I haven't been getting much feedback. I would love to know your thoughts on this. Please communicate with me! :) Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter and enjoy this next one. I will warn you that I'm introducing an OC that I made like two years ago as a match for Human Kon. She's a doozy and a lot of fun! :D I myself am not the biggest fan of OC's but she's a good one and will not be the last! :3 Anyway, enjoy and please comment if you have anything to say, including criticism. **

Ichigo and I continued to sit at the table while waiting for Kon. It had been nearly an hour since his head had stopped bleeding but he had stayed behind to talk with Isshin. I rested my head in my hand and stared off, reflecting on what had happened between Kon and his mother. Ichigo nudged my arm to get my attention and pointed in the direction of the door.

"You should go peak inside and see if they're almost done." I gave him a confused look and shook my head.

"Why me? I don't think he was very happy that I was there." Ichigo shook his head in disagreement.

"He was just embarrassed because you saw him so upset. I'm just saying, you're short enough to look through the window without getting caught." I glared at him and stood.

"Don't even start with short jokes." He laughed and shrugged before shoving me towards the door.

"Just go, will you?" I rolled my eyes and approached the door. After stepping on my tiptoes and earning a few laughs from Ichigo, I could see inside. Isshin had just stood and helped Kon up before giving him a comforting hug. Kon returned the gesture and thanked him. I took a step back and walked back to the table.

"They're coming." Ichigo nodded as I took my seat. The two entered the kitchen and both Ichigo and I looked up at them, offering Kon a smile. He grinned back at us.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Kon, feeling any better?" Ichigo rested back in his chair and looked up at him.

"Yeah, thanks a lot." Kon leaned his weight on the back of my chair.

"No problem, man. I'm just glad we got you out of that house." I turned in my seat and glanced up at Kon to see his reaction to Ichigo's words. His face fell slightly and he shrugged.

"My dad said I have to go home before it gets dark." Ichigo sighed angrily.

"Well after Rukia goes home I'll go over there with you, ok?"

"Ok!" I smiled up at Kon, noticing his excited grin. Ichigo laughed and nodded before standing. I felt Kon's hands grip my upper arms as he pulled me out of my seat. "So what do you wanna do Rukia?" I blinked, not sure what he wanted me to say.

"Um…I don't care." He smiled down at me and let go of my arms. Ichigo reached over and nudged Kon playfully.

"It's getting sort of late Kon; you know we did wait a while for you." He smiled jokingly at his friend. I glanced at the clock hanging in the kitchen and realized I had been there for almost an hour and a half already as it was going on 7 o'clock.

"Let's watch a movie!" Kon exclaimed, ignoring Ichgio's words completely.

"Sure, why not?" Ichigo rolled his eyes and smiled down at me. Again I felt Kon's hand, this time grabbing my own. He started pulling me towards the living room.

"Come on, Ichigo. Set up the DVD player, will you?" Ichigo sighed as Kon pulled me down on the couch. He let go of my hand and rested his arm on the back of the couch. I was surprised by the amount of distance between us. Honestly I was expecting less but he stayed out of my personal space. After Ichigo set everything up and Kon picked a movie, Ichigo sat on my other side.

The movie started sort of slowly and while nothing was going on, Kon would turn towards me and ask me questions about my old school or how I liked my new house. As soon as something slightly interesting happened he would turn to the television, forgetting about our conversation. By the middle of the movie, he stopped talking all together. I had already seen the film and found myself sort of bored but didn't say anything. I rested back against the couch and felt a familiar exhaustion come over me. It started to get hard to keep my eyes open, my body started slumping. I distantly heard Kon laugh as I drifted to sleep.

"Rukia!" As I heard Ichigo yell my name, I jolted awake, feeling like I had just fallen. I looked around frantically trying to find out what was wrong.

"What?" Both Kon and Ichigo laughed loudly, as I looked at my surroundings. The movie was over and it was darker outside, I assumed it was going on nine. I felt a glare form on my brow as they continued to laugh hysterically. My hands reached out and I shoved Ichigo off the couch. "That's not funny!" He smiled up at me and held his hands up.

"Sorry, I didn't know you'd get so…scared." I tried to keep a smile off my face as I spoke.

"Stop laughing, you jerk." I punched his arm and turned to Kon threateningly. He also held up his hands.

"I'm done." Ichigo stood and pushed me off the couch as revenge.

"We're kicking you out." I stood and elbowed him in the ribs.

"Believe me, I'm ready to leave." I smiled up at him, ready to hit him again.

"Aw, you wanna go spend some time with your brother?" Ichigo grinned down at me and shoved me back into a now standing Kon.

"Pfft, hell no," I said causing both boys to laugh.

"Don't worry, he's not kicking you out, he's kicking me out." Kon stated and pat my back roughly.

"I'm going with you; I'm most definitely kicking you out, Rukia." Kon rolled his eyes and turned towards the kitchen. "I'm kidding, honestly Kon has to get home soon so," he shrugged, letting his words hang in the room. I nodded in understanding and rubbed my eyes.

"Ok, well I'll get out of your hair." I smiled at both of them and took a few steps towards the door after grabbing my purse. "Thanks for inviting me, I had fun. I _guess._"

"Thanks for coming! I hope Renji didn't scare you away from our group," Kon said as he wrapped his arms around me, hugging me tightly. I lightly patted his back, sort of uncomfortable, until he pulled away. My eyes met Ichigo's and he smiled, recognizing my discomfort and holding his arms out jokingly. I grimaced at him and shook my head.

"I don't think so." My hand reached out and I opened the door. Kon laughed loudly at my actions and wrapped his arm around Ichigo's neck, digging his knuckle into Ichigo's hair.

"Dejected!" I turned and left before he could get away from Kon.

After getting in my car, I backed out, took a quick glance at Kon's house and drove off towards my house.

_-:-_

The rest of the weekend went by slowly, dragging along as I sat in my room, avoiding Byuakuya. On Sunday I received at least four text messages from four different individuals. Kon and I texted most of the time, keeping each other company while being locked up in our rooms. Michiru had texted me to ask if I wanted to have lunch with her and Mina but Mina had canceled and Byuakuya said he wanted me to stay home the rest of the weekend. While eating lunch Renji sent me a message telling me he was officially not grounded and told me to keep next weekend open. The last message I received was from Ichigo asking if I had heard the "big news" from Renji. We talked for about an hour before I headed off the bed, ready for school.

The next morning I woke up to a message from Kon, our conversation from the day before being continued. After quickly getting dressed and grabbing a small and easy breakfast, I grabbed my keys and left. I was able to avoid my brother completely and got to the school without any trouble. I turned the key, turning off the car and pulled out the key. I was so close to leaving the car when I remembered that I needed my scientific calculator for our math lesson and dug in my school bag to double check. After digging to the very bottom I realized that it wasn't there. I sat back in my car and started looking around. It wasn't under my seats or in the back seat so I looked in the glove box.

In a rush, I pulled everything out of the compartment until only small objects remained. I reached in further and felt a cold, metal object brush against my fingertips. Curious, I pulled it the small item out and observed it as it rested in my palm. My eyes widened in disbelief as I stared at my sister's engagement ring, the memory of a frantic Hisana coming to my mind.

"_Rukia, you have to help me find it! Byuakuya is going to be so mad at me!" Her stress was apparent in her voice as she spoke. "I can't believe I lost my _engagement ring_," she covered her face with her hands anxiously. _

"_Hisana, it's okay. We'll find it, don't worry. Where's the last place you remember seeing it?"_

"_Well, after our huge fight the other night, I remember putting it…in my dresser drawer? I thought that's where I left it but when I looked it wasn't there!" We ran around the house looking for the ring for hours with no success._

As the memory hit me, I felt tears slide down my face. A small smile found its way to my face as I sat in disbelief. The ring had been missing for almost half a year, Hisana lost it three months before she found out she was sick. My hands went to my face as I let out a few sobs, missing my sister worse than I had in a while. I clutched the ring and shoved the glove box shut, forgetting about my calculator. With the back of my hand I wiped away any remaining tears and slipped the ring safely in my school bag. I quickly stepped out of the car and headed towards the doors.

I reached for the door handle but was beat by a large hand. I glanced up at the person politely opening the door for me. The stranger had longer dark brown hair and bright blue eyes. His smile consisted of straight pearly teeth. The person was a stranger to me but he smiled and waited for me to walk in.

"Oh, thank you," I said quietly. His smile widened as he pat my back.

"No problem," he stated as he followed me in the building. "Good morning."

"Um, good morning…do I know you?" The kid laughed and shook his head.

"No." I smiled up at him and nodded. "Could you show me where the office is?"

"Sure, just go down that hallway and it's on the right. It's really noticeable. Are you new here?"

"Yup, I transferred from Karakura's public school. I'm Kiba Suzuki." He held his hand out and I shook it while nodding.

"Hi, I'm Rukia Kuchiki."

"It was nice to meet you, I'll see ya." He stepped away from me before continuing. "Have a good day, Rukia." I smiled and waved slightly at him.

"You too, Kiba." After he waved, he turned and headed towards the office.I made my way to my classroom and quickly met up with Mina who distracted me further from my sister's ring. She made light conversation with me until class started.

The day flew by without anything mentionable to occur. When it came to our math lesson I realized I never found my calculator. I sighed, annoyed that I had forgotten so easily and stared angrily at my paper. I noticed Ichigo look over at me, a smile on his face as he handed over his own calculator. I nodded as a thanks and smiled.

Before I knew it, it was time for lunch and we were heading towards the roof. I was walking with Tatsuki and Michiru when I nearly ran into someone.

"Sorry, excuse me-"

"Hey, Rukia!" I glanced up to see Kiba smiling down at me. "Hey, do you mind if I sit with you during lunch?"

"Um…" Unsure, I turned to Michiru who just nodded before answering.

"We don't mind. How do you know Rukia? Are you a new kid?" Kiba nodded at her question.

"I ran into her this morning, she showed me where the office was. So I can sit with you guys?"

"Of course, as long as you don't mind big groups of people. There are a lot of us." He smiled and began following us to our destination.

"That's no problem, I'm a people person."

"Good. I'm Michiru Ogawa and this is Tatsuki Arisawa." Kiba's attention went to Tatsuki and I noticed his expression shift slightly. He started walking extremely close to her and grinned down at her, looking so different than he did before.

"Hey, Tatsuki." She glanced at him for the first time, giving him an annoyed expression.

"Will you back up?" She stepped away as we entered the roof only to have Kiba follow her. "Get away from me!" He simply laughed, gaining the rest of our group's attention as we sat.

"Why are you being so touchy? You make it hard for a guy to hit on you." Hisagi and Renji busted out laughing at his words.

"I dunno who you are but why in God's name would you hit on Tatsuki?" Before Kiba could respond, Michiru spoke up.

"Shut up, stop being mean Hisagi! Everyone, this is Kiba. He's new." Quick introductions were made and Kiba sat next to me while Kon sat on my other side. Tatsuki moved to the opposite side of our circle to get away from Kiba who just smiled at her happily.

"So, new kid, out of all these chicks you hit on Tatsuki? What's wrong with you? You don't know which ones are single." Hisagi continued his earlier conversation and received a nudge from Michiru.

"She's cute," he stated with a shrug. Hisagi let out a loud laugh.

"Dude, no she's not." Renji chimed in, earning a glare from Michiru.

"Renji, shut up. If you guys can't be nice then don't talk about Tatsuki at all. I mean it." Renji rolled his eyes and brushed her off.

"Ignore her, she's an aspiring mommy." Kiba laughed and gave Renji another shrug.

"I dunno, man, I just think she's cute, sue me." Both Hisagi and Renji laughed at his words and turned to look at Tatsuki. After Renji shook his head, Kiba continued. "Why do you like your girlfriend?" He asked, gesturing towards Mina.

"Uh, duh, Mina's hot." Mina looked at me and rolled her eyes. "And other shit but we're talking about _Tatsuki._"

"So? I have a different perspective of her than you do. No offense but I wouldn't call Mina hot."

"Yeah, something is definitely wrong with you." Kiba shook his head.

"No, I'm totally right about this. Do you think his girlfriend is hot?" He asked while nodding towards Hisagi. Renji shook his head before answering.

"His girlfriend is my best friend, I can't answer that." Kiba laughed.

"Yes you can. Do you?"

"…Eh, not really. I mean, Michiru is cute but not hot."

"Well I bet he thinks she is." Hisagi nodded in response. "See? Different perspectives." Renji stared off for a few moments before he shook his head again.

"No, Tatsuki is Tatsuki. She is not cute."

"I don't give a shit what you're saying, shut the hell up and stop talking about me." A deep glare rested on her face as she folded her arms angrily. Kiba grinned at her reaction and that conversation died down. The rest of our lunch was filled with simpler conversation, keeping Kiba pretty involved.

_-:-_

At the end of the day Michiru invited me to Hisagi's along with Kon and Ichigo. Hisagi lived close enough to the school that he could walk home so I left my car in the school's parking lot and left with the rest of the group. Michiru said something about introducing me to Hisagi's parents and told me that we might be able to meet one of his older sisters if she were home.

Once we reached his small neighborhood we saw a few other small groups of kids from our school walking home. There were two guys walking in front of us and in front of them was a short girl with extremely long hair. The two guys were nudging each other and gesturing towards the girl. I think everyone else noticed because we were all silently observing them. After a few moments of checking the girl out, one of the boys walked up to her and put his arm around her shoulder while his friend chuckled under his hand. The small girl turned, surprised and angry, and shoved him away.

"Get your hands off me you dick!"

I heard Hisagi laugh behind me as the girl glared at the kid.

"Calm down, I'm just being friendly." He grabbed the girl's arm and pulled her closer to him. She continued to struggle to get away from him without success. The guy started to get noticeably angry and tightened his grip on her arm. He leaned down closer to her and started talking to her in hushed irritated tones. The girl flinched and again tried to pull away and before anything else could happen Kon approached them, looking pissed. Kon shoved the guy back, knocking him to the ground and glared down at him.

"Leave her alone you asshole." He spoke between his teeth as the girl backed up, looking surprised. The rest of our group stood back, watching the events unfold as the boy's friend pushed Kon.

"Back off, he was just messing around." The other guy stood, looking ready to fight, and punched Kon in the face. Both Ichigo and Hisagi were about to go after the guy but before they could reach them Kon grabbed the guy's shirt collar and swung back angrily, causing the boy to fall back once again.

"Keep your fucking hands to yourself you bastard." Ichigo and Hisagi stood back looking shocked by Kon's behavior. The two kids scoffed and walked away after shoving the girl. She stood there awkwardly as we all turned to Kon.

"Dude, are you okay?" Hisagi laid his hand on Kon's shoulder as he spoke.

"I'm fine." He pushed him away and walked over to the girl. "Are you okay?" A concerned look spread over his face as he looked down at her. She pushed her dark blonde hair out of her face, exposing her huge amber eyes. She nodded and stepped back slightly.

"Thanks…" Michiru approached her, patting her shoulder gently.

"Are you sure?" She nodded and stepped away before turning and continuing to walk home. When I turned to see if Kon's face was bruised I saw him turn and go after the girl. Hisagi and Ichigo grin at each other, laughing under their breath.

"What are you guys laughing at?" Michiru looked up at Hisagi confused.

"Kon's playing the hero." He smiled down at her, obviously amused as he reached for her hand. She returned the gesture.

"Aw, that's cute."

"I have a feeling that girl would kick his ass." Ichigo looked back at Kon and the small girl as he spoke. They were pretty far away from us. Kon smiled down at her, keeping pace as she stared ahead. They continued to walk towards her destination.

"I guess he's meeting up with us at my house." Hisagi smiled and tugged on Michiru's hand, pulling her forward a few steps. "Come on lets go." We all started to head towards his house, watching Kon follow the stranger in a completely different direction.

**Okay, sorry for taking so long to update but I've been writing this in chunks. I did not know Kiba was going to be introduced in this chapter but oh well, it just sort of happened. I know Kisa was hardly in it and I'm sorry if you're disappointed but she'll be back. I'll start writing chapter five asap but I would LOVE some feedback! :D Please review and I really hope you all enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hello, I'm back again! :) I'm sort of nervous about this chapter because I honestly dunno where it's going. I have an idea of how I'm starting it but…that's all lol. Please bear with me as I attempt to throw this chapter together! :D Anywho, enjoy! ;3 BTW: Kensei is Sagi's daddy in my story because I thought it was cute so ENJOY! (This also means his last name will be changed but OH WELL!) PS! Hisagi will also have sisters that I haven't really…thought up yet. They are inspired by my awesome sister-in-law. There are two of them and they will be described in depth later on in the story! They really aren't that big of a deal but I felt siblings fit Hisagi in this particular story. I hope you like them!**

We reached Hisagi's house and still Kon hadn't shown up. Instead of waiting around we went inside and met Hisagi's parents. His sister wasn't home but his mother greeted us at the door. She was pretty tall with short black hair the brushed her shoulders as it framed her face. She grinned and hugged everyone excitedly, smacking Hisagi on the arm playfully.

"Hello honeys! Come in and get comfortable. Kensei went out to grab an early dinner; he should be home in about half an hour." She turned to Hisagi as she spoke about someone who I presumed was his father before directing her gaze towards me. "You must be Rukia." She grinned and wrapped her arms around me happily. "I'm Kana, I'm so glad you could come!" I awkwardly hugged her back, trying to quickly end our embrace. Kana pulled away and looked around the rest of the group.

"I was hoping Rukia would get to meet Haruka. I thought she was coming home this week." Michiru talked to Hisagi's mother easily, as if she were part of the family. Kana smiled down at her and shook her head.

"She was but she had to make up an exam she skipped last week so she'll be here sometime tomorrow. Of course Rukia can always come back, I love having you guys over." She smiled and placed her hands on her hips. "Where's Kon?"

"He followed some girl home like a lost puppy." Ichigo laughed as he told her about Kon's whole encounter with the two boys and the petite girl. Kana's eyes widened as she was told about Kon's little fist fight.

"Are you serious? Is he still coming over today? I hope, I wanna tease him about it." She grinned, a small laugh escaping her.

"Knowing Kon he's inviting her," Hisagi stated, sitting on the couch, pulling Michiru down next to him. Kana chuckled and sat on the arm of the couch as the rest of us got comfortable.

"I hope he does, I want to meet his _girlfriend_." Before any of us could comment, the door opened and a tall man walked in with almost white hair and a scowl on his face. He was carrying three boxes of pizza. Once he saw Kana that scowl faded and he gave her a small smile. "Hey, you got back quick." He nodded and sat the boxes on the coffee table in the middle of the room.

"Yeah, there was practically no wait." He leaned over and kissed his wife before greeting us as a whole. "Hey guys, eat while the foods hot." Without another word Ichigo and Hisagi started tearing into the pizza. Hisagi's dad just laughed and rolled his eyes. "Good thing Renji's not here or else the little ones wouldn't get any." Michiru smiled and nodded in agreement. Kana reached up and grabbed his hand to get his attention.

"Speaking of little ones, Rukia finally came over." The man's attention turned to me and he smiled before nodding. He took a few steps closer to me and held his hand out to me.

"Hi Rukia, it's nice to meet you. I'm Kensei Hisagi." I timidly shook his hand as I realized that Hisagi was their surname.

"It's nice to meet you too." After he let go of my hand, he ruffled up my hair roughly.

"Welcome to the circus." I laughed at his words, glad that Hisagi's parents were just as welcoming and friendly as Renji's. "By the way," he said as he turned to Ichigo, "why was Kon sitting outside some random house with a little girl? I thought he would be here?"

"Long story short, he's stalking this girl." Kensei nodded, his smile widening in understanding.

"Ah, I see." He turned towards Michiru, pointing his finger at her. "Are you staying here tonight?"

"Yup."

"Good, that boyfriend of yours is getting on my nerves." She laughed as she looked up at Hisagi's father.

"How so?"

"When you're not here he always wants to do something with me, he's like a teenage boy or something. You'd think I was his father." He smiled jokingly as Hisagi rolled his eyes.

"That's so mean, Kensei!" She laid her hand on Hisagi's leg comfortingly, still smiling.

"Chill 'Chiru, I'm just teasing." Kensei lightheartedly punched his son's arm, earning a smile from Hisagi. "Just leave me and your mother alone tonight will you?"

"Believe me, as soon as these two leave we'll be plenty busy." Michiru rolled her eyes and smacked Hisagi.

"Shut up, Sagi." Ichigo and Kensei laughed loudly.

"Don't kid yourself Hisagi. Kon has a better chance of getting laid tonight than you do." Ichigo grinned at him, earning a loud laugh from Kensei.

"Ha ha." As Hisagi spoke the door opened once again. Kon stepped in, timidly followed by the girl from before. I heard Ichigo and Hisagi stifle laughs as they walked in. Kana stood and welcomed them, not fazed by her new guests.

"Hi Sweetie!" She hugged him tightly and stepped back slightly. "Who's your friend?"

"Hey Kana, this is Kisa." The girl's long hair was slightly covering her face. She didn't look up at us and stood in the door frame, looking on edge. Kana approached her with a smile on her face.

"Hi Kisa, I'm Kana Hisagi. It's nice to meet you." She surprised me by stepping back, now standing on the porch. "Sweetie? Are you alright, Kisa?" Kisa simply nodded, her hands resting at her sides in fists.

"Kisa, it's okay, you can come inside." Kon's tone was so casual, I thought it would scare her more but it didn't. She didn't really move, just stood there awkwardly. Kon walked back up to her and carefully gripped her wrist. "Come inside." Kisa stiffened noticeably so Kon just pulled her into the house, tired of waiting. He started introducing her to all of us and pulled her down on the couch carefully.

Kana looked concerned but continued to act in a friendly manner towards Kisa. She offered her something to eat but she only received a shake of the head. Kisa didn't talk at all, leaving me curious as to why she would've come. Michiru tried talking to her and so did Ichigo but they both failed to get her to communicate. Everyone tried to make conversation around Kisa but an awkward lull occurred.

After a few minutes Kana spoke up again. "Kensei, we have to go pick up your prescription before the pharmacy closes!" She stood and grabbed her purse. "We'll be back soon, everyone behave." She smiled and nudged Kensei towards the door. They quickly left, leaving us in an unnerving silence. We all sat there in silence for a few minutes before Michiru made another effort of including Kisa in a conversation.

"So…did you know those two boys, Kisa?" The girl looked up at the sound of her name, her huge bright eyes looking sort of empty.

"No."

"Oh, why'd they bother you?" Kisa shrugged before finally speaking.

"Because they're assholes," Kon smiled at her words and Hisagi laughed. Michiru smiled at her and nodded.

"What about you Kon? How're you feeling?" Ichigo asked, leaning back on the couch closer to me and resting his arm on the back of the couch. Kon shrugged and stretched his legs out, resting his feet on the coffee table.

"I'm fine, why? Can you tell I got hit?" Michiru smiled but Ichigo was the one to answer.

"Yeah, you're face looks pretty bruised. You don't feel it?"

"No, it doesn't hurt or anything." He just shrugged it off before lying his head back, looking sort of tired.

"So, Kon, she's pretty cute." Hisagi grinned at the two sitting on the opposite couch as us. Kon laughed, glancing down at Kisa. He looked back at Hisagi before speaking.

"What about it?" Kisa glared, looking slightly agitated with the direction their conversation was going. Hisagi shrugged and continued, ignoring her discomfort.

"I'm just making an observation." Michiru nudged him, smiling.

"Leave her alone Sagi." He looked down at her, his arm around her shoulder.

"Jealous much?" She rolled her eyes, her grin widening. Ichigo cut in, addressing Kisa before Michiru could respond.

"What grade are you in Kisa?" I figured he was trying to push the conversation to a less uncomfortable topic.

"I'm being moved into the 10th grade class in a few weeks." My brow furrowed in confusion and I finally joined in the discussion.

"Why are you being moved?"

"I'm ahead in my credits so they're letting me finish the year with the sophomores."

"Damn! You must be really smart." Kisa's face was still blank as she shrugged off Hisagi's complement.

"So you must be like, what, 14 years old?" Michiru asked, leaning back against Hisagi's stretched out arm. Kisa shook her head before answering.

"I'm 15." As their conversation continued, I glanced at the clock noticing that it was already going on six. I had to push myself to get off the couch and stand. I looked over at Hisagi before speaking.

"I have to head home; my brother wants me home early tonight." Both Hisagi and Michiru nodded and Ichigo stood too.

"Yeah me too, Dad wants me to pick up my sisters in like half an hour." He turned his attention to Kon. "Are you coming with me or what?" Kon scratched the back on his head and answered.

"No, I'm gonna stick around here for a while and wait for Kana to get back."

"Alright, don't wait too late to go home, okay?" Ichigo rested his hand on Kon's shoulder before nudging me towards the door.

"Yeah, I know. I might just go to your place."

"Okay, see ya later. Bye Kisa, bye guys."

"Bye you guys, see you tomorrow. Love you guys." Michiru waved and smiled at us as I said my own goodbyes. With Ichigo behind me, I headed towards the school. I glanced up at him and noticed his bored expression as he stared off.

"You okay?" He looked down at me, his scowl shifting into a small smile.

"Yeah, just thinking." We fell into step with each other and walked towards our destination, less space between us than usual.

"Ah, it takes a lot for you to do that doesn't it? Ignore me; take all the time you need to form a proper thought." I smiled and glanced up to see his eyes narrow.

"Very funny, Rukia." He shoved me jokingly and rather roughly, knocking me over onto the ground. His eyes widened slightly, looking surprised and concerned. "Are you okay? Sorry, I didn't mean to push you that hard." I laughed loudly and picked myself up off the ground with Ichigo's help.

"I'm fine," I stated as I brushed off my uniform. Before I really processed what I was doing, I shoved Ichigo back, pushing him off the sidewalk and into the street. He smiled and continued walking towards the school, bumping into me as he passed. "You know, I don't think Byuakuya's going to be very happy when I come home with a bruise." He simply shrugged and continued walking. I caught up with him and elbowed him before putting a little more space between us.

"Hey Rukia, can I ask you a question?" He looked down at me, a serious look on his face. I couldn't keep the smile off my face as I spoke.

"You already did." He grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Shut up, I meant a serious question." I thought about it, not really feeling like having a serious conversation but nodded anyway.

"Sure."

"You always talk about…why you hate your brother but," he froze as I tensed and ran a hand through his hair. "What would you honestly do if you were in his position?" I froze mid-step and stared off, trying to act neutral.

"I wouldn't make his decision."

"Hm." He shoved his hands in his pockets before continuing. "So you would keep her alive?" I nodded, trying to dismiss the conversation. "You'd make that choice even though you know she was in pain-" I cut him off, forcing the end of this discussion.

"Stop Ichigo." He turned back to look at me, a few steps ahead of me. "This is pointless, I didn't have a decision and she's already gone. I don't want to talk about it, okay?" He nodded and apologized before waiting for me to catch up. After falling in step with him again I asked him "Why do you always have to do that?" Ichigo looked down at me, trying to keep a smile off his face.

"Do what?"

"You always have to bring up that kind of thing; you know I spend the majority of my day trying _not_ to think about it." He shrugged his shoulders and answered.

"Because I'm curious." I wasn't sure exactly how to answer and simply decided not to. His huge hand found its way to my head as he ruffled up my hair. "Sorry, I'm not trying to be nosey." I couldn't keep a smile from my face as I pushed his arm away.

"Yeah, yeah." After a few minutes of silence we reached the school parking lot and Ichigo followed me to my car. I unlocked the car and pulled the door open. As I attempted to swing my school bag into the passenger seat, it hit the open car door and fell to the ground. The contents spilled out due to the fact that I forgot to zip it up. "Shit," I said under my breath.

"Nice," Ichigo laughed as he kneeled down to help me collect my school supplies. We both started shoving my belongings into my bag when Ichigo's hands stopped. I stood, figuring that it was all in my bag when I noticed Ichigo studying something in his palm. "Is this yours?" I stood on my tiptoes to see Hisana's engagement ring resting in his hand.

"No, it was my sister's engagement ring." He nodded and continued staring at it. He turned to me, as if he were handing it over but surprised me when he grabbed my hand and slid the ring on my ring finger. He smiled and tapped my forehead with his index finger.

"It fits." I blinked my eyes before smiling and rolling my eyes.

"Ooh, it's a sign." Ichigo laughed and moved closer to my car, leaning back against it.

"A sign?" '

"Apparently," I laughed and rested against the car also. "Marriage in my near future?" I held my hand out, looking at the ring and shook my head. "I don't think so." Ichigo nudged me, smiling at my actions.

"Not into marriage?" I shrugged before answering.

"Eh, it doesn't impress me. My sister's marriage always seemed sort of glorified." When I looked up at Ichigo's face I saw his expression shift, a look of confusion on his face.

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. Hisana just wanted to keep her issues with Byuakuya secret from everyone, including me. She hated fighting with him when I was there but Byuakuya thought I shouldn't be cut off from family issues." I shrugged, remembering how she would make me go to my room or give Byuakuya the silent treatment in the car until we got home. "It seemed sort of fake and there was a point when I thought they would split up."

"Wow."

"Yeah but once she got sick, they worked things out. I dunno, they just didn't set a very good example I guess." I looked up at him, feeling my curiosity rising. "What about you?"

"What about me?" He smiled down at me as he spoke.

"Are you for marriage or are you like Renji?" He laughed, his eyebrow furrowing slightly.

"Like Renji?"

"A pig." His smile widened, a feigned look of shock on his face.

"You don't like Renji?"

"I never said that, he just…he's always making little comments that make him sound like a jerk." I couldn't help laughing at the thought of him. Ichigo nodded as if he now understood.

"I mean I never think about getting married but I don't see it the way you do. I mean my parents had a pretty good marriage from what I remember." I nodded, not sure how to respond. "I guess I had a better example." He grinned and playfully elbowed me. "Well, I gotta go. My sisters are going to be pissed when I'm late." I laughed and stood from my car, pulling my keys from my school bag. After tossing the bag into the passenger seat, I turned back to Ichigo.

"I'll see you tomorrow." I slid in my seat, turned on the car and turned my attention back up to Ichigo.

"Yeah, I guess." He smiled as I rolled my eyes. "See ya, tell your brother I said hi." He let out a laugh and pushed my door shut. After a slight wave I drove off, leaving Ichigo in the parking lot, a smile residing on my face the entire ride home.

-:-

When I reached home I went inside and headed straight for the kitchen to get something to drink. I had tossed my school bag on the couch and walked right passed Byuakuya. He stopped and turned towards me before addressing me.

"Hey Rukia, how was your day?" After grabbing a bottle of water, I turned towards him and shut the fridge.

"Fine." I headed for my room but he stopped me and grabbed my wrist.

"What are you wearing?" His eyes were on my fingers as I realized I still had Hisana's ring on.

"Oh, look, I found Sana's ring in the glove box." After pulling away from him I slid the ring off my finger and handed it over. His eyes were now on the ring in his palm, he didn't seem to believe what he saw. Again I tried to leave but he stopped me and held his hand out to me.

"You keep it, Rukia." My eyes widened and I slightly shook my head.

"What? No, I can't. It's her engagement ring, you should keep it." Byuakuya forced the small piece of jewelry into my hand before he continued.

"No, she wanted you to have it. She said that when I found it, I was supposed to give it to you so keep it." He smiled, a laugh almost escaping his throat. "You can't really wear it but you should still keep it."

"…Thanks, Byuakuya." He wrapped his arms around me and sighed tiredly.

"Thanks for finding it." I laughed and nodded before pulling away and excusing myself to my room, where I spent the rest of the night.

-:-

The next day flew by and school was over before I knew it. I gathered all my books and shoved them in my bag before standing. Ichigo stood next to me and Kiba and Kon met up with us as we headed for the exit of the school. Ichigo rubbed his eyes tiredly and held in a yawn. I gave him a confused look and nudged him to get his attention. When he looked down at me I asked "Are you alright?"'

"Hm? Yeah, I'm fine, just tired." Kon overheard us and laughed causing Ichigo to glare at him.

"What's so funny?" I asked, looking at Kon. He smiled at me and elbowed Ichigo.

"He says that I kept him up last night." I grinned and nodded, understanding.

"You did! You wouldn't let me sleep." Kon just laughed and rolled his eyes. Before we could continue the conversation we ran into Hisagi and Michiru who were leaning against the wall by the exit, waiting for us. Michiru smiled at us, looking especially happy as she clutched onto Hisagi's hand.

"Hi guys! You wanna come over to my house?" Her attention turned to me as she continued. "Hisagi's sister is going to come over so you can meet her." I smiled and nodded.

"Sure, let me call my brother really quick." She nodded and I grabbed my phone out of my school bag. I stepped away from the rest of the group. I quickly dialed Byuakuya's number and starred off as I listened to ring on the other line. After four rings he finally picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hey 'Yuakuya, I'm going over to Michiru's house after school, okay?" I heard someone else in the background, saying something about the time. My eyebrows furrowed, wondering if he was working.

"That's fine, thanks for letting me know. Let me know if you're coming home for dinner and have fun."

"Okay. Are you in a meeting?" I felt guilty for interrupting him.

"Yes, I'm meeting a client."

"Oh, sorry, I'll let you go. Bye," I said turning to look at the group. I caught Ichigo's eye and gave him a confused look only to receive a grin from him.

"It's fine, I'll see you tonight. Bye Rukia, love you." I hung up and turned back to the group noticing some strange girl standing in front of Hisagi. As I approached I heard her low voice and tried to figure out who she was. She had long black hair that reached past her waist and brown eyes that were piercing at Michiru and Hisagi. Her eyebrows were turned down in a glare and she was saying something about Hisagi's attitude when I reached them.

"You don't have to be so rude to me Shuuhei." The girl placed her hands on her hips looking agitated. Hisagi glared at her, looking extremely angry.

"Will you just shut up and leave already?" Michiru looked up at him and nudged him.

"Hisagi, you don't have to be so mean." She smiled at the girl and continued. "It was nice talking to you again Ryo but we better get going." The girl gave her a dirty look and turned back to Hisagi.

"I need to talk to you sometime soon and without your controlling little girlfriend around." Hisagi pushed himself off the wall and took a step closer to her.

"I'm not talking to you, just leave us alone Ryo." He pulled on Michiru's wrist and started walking towards the school's parking lot. Ichigo and Kon started following him so Kiba and I lagged behind. Hisagi bumped into the girl angrily and she turned to yell at him.

"Why are you being such an asshole? I just want to talk to you. You know you did a lot more than talk with me when you were with Mahana." He stopped at her words and turned towards her, causing her to smile.

"I didn't give a shit about Mahana and I don't give as shit about you so leave me the fuck alone!" With that he stomped away, dragging Michiru with him. Ryo glared at him but didn't say anything else as we all followed the couple to the parking lot. Michiru was trying to free her wrist from her boyfriend as he dragged her closer to her car.

"Ow! Hisagi let me go!" She finally was able to pull away and we all watched their interaction. He looked down at her, a glare still on his face.

"What?" She sighed and rubbed at her wrist absently.

"You didn't have to be so mean to her; you know I don't care if you talk to her."

"She was being a bitch and I don't want to talk to her." Michiru smiled slightly and lightly grabbed his hand.

"Sagi, she was only acting like that because she still likes you." Hisagi sighed, glanced at Ichigo and rolled his eyes before turning back to her with a small smile on his face.

"Why do you to be so understanding with people like her, people who say shit to directly hurt you?" Her eyebrows furrowed and shrugged.

"She's probably only being that way because she's hurt too, I can't get mad at her for expressing her feelings." Ichigo laughed quietly, catching her attention. "What?" He shook his head but Kon answered for him.

"You can be way too nice." She smiled and shook her head.

"Let's just forget about her and get moving. I don't want Haruka to wait around." She turned to me and pulled out her keys. "Do you just wanna follow one of us there? Do you think you can make it?" I nodded, though sort of unsure.

"It's okay; I'll ride with her and tell her how to get there." Kon grabbed my hand and pulled me towards my car. Ichigo smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Thanks for ditching me, Kon."

"No problem." He smiled and held his hand up in a lazy wave before tugging me more. He looked down at me while still holding onto my hand. "You don't care, do you?"

"Of course not, I don't know if I would have been able to get there by just following someone. Thanks for your help." He just shrugged and slid his fingers between mine. He didn't let go until we reached my car and I had to unlock the doors. Kon walked around to the passenger side and slipped in. After checking my mirrors and buckling up, I pulled out of the lot and followed Kon's first direction.

"So are you and your brother getting along better?" I blinked, surprised by his question and sort of shrugged.

"Uh, not really…but honestly it's my fault." When I glanced over at him I noticed his eyebrows turn down in confusion.

"How's it your fault?"

"I don't really try…fixing our problem. I guess I feel like I need to be mad at him." Kon nodded and turned to look out the windshield, his gaze no longer on me.

"Oh, yeah Ichigo told me about what he did. I'm really sorry about your sister." I felt a surprised expression slip onto my face.

"Ichigo told you about my brother?" Kon turned back to me and smiled slightly.

"Yeah, don't be mad or anything. We were talking about you and it sort of just came up." His hand shot up and he pointed at a street up ahead. "Turn right there and you'll stay on that road until we reach her neighborhood." After turning on my blinker, checking to my left, and making my turn I looked over at Kon.

"You two were talking about me?" He grinned and nodded.

"Nothing bad, but yes we were."

"What all did you talk about?" My eyes started scanning all the upcoming neighborhoods, not sure what I was looking for.

"Don't worry; we'll be on this road for a while. I'll tell you when we're close." I nodded, gesturing for him to answer. "I just asked Ichigo what he thought about you and he asked if I have a crush on you." He laughed, answering shockingly honestly.

"Oh…" I kept my eyes on the road, not sure how he expected me to respond.

"No, don't take it like that. I don't or anything." I smiled and nodded. "But I do like you, a lot, as a friend. You're nice and easy to talk to, you're really fun. I'm glad you moved here." After checking my mirrors I turned to him, my smile widening.

"Yeah, me too, I just wish it were under different consequences."

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I hate knowing that you must be in so much pain all the time." I couldn't help the emotion of gratitude from my face.

"Kon, that's really sweet of you but you have your own issues. Don't worry about me, I'll be-"

"You'll be fine? Rukia, your sister just died. No one expects you to 'be fine' or deal with it yourself. That's what I feel like you're doing, keeping it all to yourself." He turned in his seat, his body facing me. "If you ever want to talk about it, I'll listen."

"Thanks Kon, I appreciate that. Same here, if you ever need to talk about your situation you can call me or tell me about it." In my peripheral vision I saw his smile widen as he nodded.

"Thanks, I'm sure Ichigo gets sick of hearing me complain all the time." I shook my head and glanced over at him.

"I think Ichigo loves you very much Kon, even if he wouldn't say that. I doubt he thinks about listening to you that way." Kon laughed and pointed to a neighborhood on our left.

"That's her neighborhood, drive straight into it until you reach the big gate."

"Okay," I mumbled before turning left and entering the neighborhood. On both sides of us were large extravagant houses, most almost twice as big as mine. "So what were you and that Kisa girl talking about for so long yesterday?" I couldn't help but grin at the topic, remembering Kon's actions and behaviors from the day before. I heard him chuckle at my change of topic.

"I spent a lot of time just getting her to talk to me, she's really closed up. She asked me why I got involved and she told me about her family a little."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I have a really bad feeling about her parents."

"Did you meet him?" He shook his head and leaned back against the window.

"No, we sat outside her house the whole time but the way she talked…it just sounded like…I don't know how to explain it. She said he's an alcoholic and I think he hits her. It sort of scares me." I furrowed my brow and turned back to him as my car approached the large gate.

"That's horrible, though that would explain why she's so quiet and 'closed up'."

"Yeah…" He looked up at the cracked gates and unbuckled. "I'll go push them open, I'll be right back." After shoving each side of the brass doors open he climbed back in the car and I drove through the gateway towards the Ogawa's residence. This house was equally as big and beautiful as the others in the neighborhood.

"Wow, her house is huge." I looked around and parked next to Ichigo's truck noticing Michiru's little car resting next to an older beat up vehicle.

"Look, Haruka's here." He slid out of the car and, after pulling off my seatbelt, I did the same. I felt sort of nervous as we head towards the front door. Not only was I meeting Michiru's parents, who were apparently pretty successful, I was meeting more of Hisagi's family. Haruka seemed to be pretty important to Michiru. I glanced at the house nervously as we approached the house.

-:-

**Okay, sorry for the strange ending but this chapter was getting sort of lengthy. I hope you all enjoyed and hopefully I peaked some interest. Please keep reading and review please! :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**I'm back! :D So apparently while I was writing this my stupid microsoft word trial decided to stop working and wouldn't even let me copy my frickin nine pages of work! So I'm retyping the first page on wordpad which means many spelling! Thanks to my sister's email, I have recovered it and she's sending it to me chunk by chunk. :( This was going to be a short authors note. I'm really sorry, please read and enjoy and ignore my complaining. Here it is! Please R&R! ;)**

**-:-**

Kon pushed the door open and walked inside without any warning and nudged me forward. The entryway was gigantic and lavishly decorated. Both Kon and I kicked off our shoes and he led me to another room, in the direction of Ichigo's voice.

"Will you guys just drop it-" He cut himself off as we stood in the doorway, his eyes meeting mine before turning back to the girl sitting next to Michiru. She had long dark straight hair and I noticed her smile was almost identical to Hisagi's as she grinned up at me. The girl looked a few years older than us, probably a college student.

"Hi Rukia!" She waved excitedly at me and greeted Kon. "Hey Cutie, how have you been? By the looks of that bruise, not too good." Kon laughed and led me into the room, gesturing for me to sit on the opposite couch of Haruka. I leaned back against the couch, getting situated next to Ichigo, as Kon answered.

"No, I've been pretty good."

"Ooh, is that a battle scar?" Hisagi chuckled under his breath and nodded.

"Yeah, he did pretty well. You made us proud Kon." Kon rolled his eyes before his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Kiba didn't come?" Michiru shook her head and spoke up.

"He said he was going to study for our history test with Tatsuki." She smiled happily and leaned back against Hisagi.

"Ah, I understand." He stated as Ichigo laughed next to me. Haruka's attention turned back to me, a smile still resting on her face.

"So Rukia, are you gonna join us?" I blinked, not sure what she was talking about.

"Join you?"

"Yeah, we were going to go swim but 'Chiru's pool is closed up so we're going to have a water balloon fight. You in?" Water balloon fight? That didn't sound appealing to me but I didn't want to offend anyone.

"Don't worry; I've got an extra bathing suit. It'll be really fun." Without another thought about it I simply shrugged.

"Sure." Haruka smiled and stood, pulling Michiru away from Hisagi.

"Good, let's go!" She turned her attention to me and gestured for me to follow. "Come on, let's get a move on!" Once I was close enough she looped her arm through mine and pulled Michiru and I up the stairs. When we reached the second floor, I looked around seeing at least four other huge rooms, two of them looked like sitting rooms. The house continued to amaze me and I was even more shocked when we reached her bedroom. The room was probably the size of my living room with her bed resting in the back corner. She had a small love seat resting on the other side and a few doors connected to the room. I assumed those were the closet and possibly the bathroom.

"Okay, I just got a few new bathing suits so if you'd like you don't have to wear an old one." Michiru's statement was directed to me as she smiled and pulled away from Haruka's hold.

"Oh, I don't care, whatever you have is fine." She nodded and walked over to one of the doors, pulling it open to reveal a huge walk in closet. After digging around in a few drawers she returned and handed each of us a bathing suit.

"Rukia you can change in the bathroom, I'll just use my closet." She pointed to the other door and smiled before leaving to change. I turned and headed for the bathroom, noticing the tags still on the swim suit I'd been given.

After changing I checked to make sure Haruka was done and we headed downstairs. Michiru had already left to give the guys their attire. Haruka led me to a laundry closet and we grabbed enough towels for all six of us. Once we reached the back yard we found Hisagi filling up the balloons and sitting them in a huge tub.

"We're filling this whole thing?" Haruka asked as we sat the towels on the table resting on the deck. We walked down the stairs and walked up the Hisagi who was standing by the hose. Hisagi glanced up at us and nodded.

"Yes, this fight is gonna last longer than ten minutes. I'm filling this thing to the brim!" He grinned at his sister and handed her a filled balloon. "Here, make yourself useful and tie that. You too Ruk, you two have tiny little hands. You can probably tie them easier than I can." He filled another and handed it to me. I quickly knotted the end of the balloon and sat in the bucket. We continued until Kon and Ichigo approached us with large stacks of red plastic cups. Haruka gave them a strange expression.

"What are those for?"

"Michiru said that we could just use these when the water balloons run out, that way we're not taking so much time filling up new ones." Kon sat the cups on the ground next to the hose and stepped closer to us.

"Oh, okay."

"I'm still filling up this thing. Get over here you two and start helping them tie the balloons." Hisagi held out a balloon to Ichigo as he spoke. "Where's Michiru?" Kon took a balloon from him before answering.

"She's in the house talking to her mother." Hisagi rolled his eyes and handed me another balloon.

"What is she complaining about now?"

"No, she's not complaining. I heard her say something about how nice it was for all of us to come over and keep Michiru company." Haruka's eyebrows rose slightly as she tied another balloon.

"Really?" I couldn't help the confused expression from crossing my features, gaining Hisagi's attention.

"Her mom is really strict. She usually hates when Michiru has friends over or at least she acts like it. That's why we had to come here, she won't let 'Chiru be out two nights in a row." I nodded, having a better understanding. Before anyone could continue with that conversation, Michiru joined us in the backyard and started helping us tie the balloons. While monotonously knotting the balloons Haruka, Kon, and I leaned against the decks railing. Kon bumped me with his hip, getting my attention. I looked up at him as he spoke.

"God, you're so scrawny, Rukia." He smiled as his eyes went to my legs and stomach. I felt a little uncomfortable but laughed and shrugged. Haruka did the same, looking me over and laughed.

"He's right; I can practically see your ribs. Aren't you fed properly?" I let out another laugh and nodded.

"I have fast metabolism, I guess."

"You're lucky. Mine slowed down as soon as I got into college, making it easier to gain the freshman fifteen." I smiled as she slapped her hand against her stomach, as if she weren't skinny.

We continued to tie and tie the balloons for at least thirty minutes, if not forty five, until the tub was completely filled with water balloons. Hisagi was satisfied and looked excited for the water balloon fight as he dragged the bucket to the middle of the yard. Michiru turned to the rest of us and said something about splitting into teams. Before anything else could be said Hisagi ran towards us, lightly pushing Michiru aside.

"I'm a team captain!" Michiru rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm for stability.

"This is football, Hisagi. Why can't we all agree-"

"Nope, Ichigo you can be the other captain." He nudged Michiru back towards me and his sister before gesturing for Ichigo to stand next to him. "Okay, my first choice is…" His eyes slid down the line until they met mine. "Rukia." He smiled as I approached him. Ichigo weighed his options and chose.

"Michiru." Hisagi turned towards me and asked if I had a preference. I just shook my head as he turned back towards the two left.

"We choose Kon." Kon approached us and stood behind me as Haruka joined Ichigo's team. Each team stood on opposite sides of the tub and agreed on being six feet away from the balloon filled bucket. Hisagi slowly began counting down from three and once he shouted go, we all ran towards the tub.

-:-

We were using the last of the water balloons and I had managed to stay pretty dry. As I hid behind a corner of the house, I wondered if it would be a good idea to run for the cups. I wasn't sure I would be able to make it. There were only two balloons left in my hands and I hadn't seen Haruka or Ichigo in a while. I knew I didn't have a lot of time to think it through, either I went for it or I targeted an enemy. I took a quick glance towards the hose and noticed that Haruka and Michiru were on the other side of the yard being brutally attacked by Hisagi and that's when I decided to run for it. As soon as I took a step closer I was hit by a freezing cold balloon and froze mid-step. I nearly dropped my balloons as I turned to see who had hit me. Before I could get a good look, I was hit again but this time directly in the face. Ichigo laughed loudly as I stood there shocked. I glared up at him before throwing both my balloons at him, precisely at his face.

Without another thought I took off towards the hose. I heard Ichigo running after me but quickened my pace. I reached the hose and grabbed a few cups while twisting the knob, turning on the water, with my free hand. As I reached for the hose head I felt two arms wrap tightly around my waist, pulling me away from the water. My eyes widened as Ichigo lifted me high above his shoulders before readjusting his grip, holding me forcefully.

"Haruka, Michiru, get over here!" He yelled across the yard, getting their attention. The two girls started sprinting towards us but Hisagi grabbed Michiru by the wrist and picking her up, throwing her over his shoulder.

"Stop! Let me go, Hisagi!" She yelled as Haruka reached us.

"Grab the hose and soak her, Haruka." I pulled at Ichigo's fingers, trying to loosen his grip and started squirming.

"Let me go!" I yelled, trying not to laugh as Haruka picked up the hose and grinned at me. "No, please don't!" She looked up at Ichigo, unsure.

"Do it already, Haruka!" She nodded as Ichigo covered himself, using me as his shield. She aimed the hose head at me and covered it with her thumb, adding pressure to it. I tried to cover my face as I was soaked. As I continued to kick and thrash, I couldn't help laughing.

"Stop!" After a few more moments of torture, the spraying stopped and I glanced down to see Kon ripping the hose out of her grip and pushing her down to the ground. He started spraying her before he grinned up at Ichigo.

"Let her go, Ichigo." I felt his grip tighten, his arms constricting my torso.

"Pfft, hell no Kon." Again Kon aimed the hose, now aiming it towards Haruka's head, as he readjusted. He was practically sitting on her back. Ichigo smiled and shrugged. "That doesn't affect me."

"Ichigo put her down! I'm dying down here!" Instead of putting me down, Ichigo realigned me until I was resting in just one arm. He reached out and tried to shove Kon off, attempting to steal the hose away. Kon pulled back, dragging Haruka with him. She began fighting Kon, trying to free herself. Kon ignored her and sprayed Ichigo directly in his face, lowering his guard just long enough for me to slip out of his grip. Ichigo went towards Kon until he had pulled the hose away.

Hisagi approached us, Michiru still in his arms, and I quickly hid behind him, scared of the possible consequences of escape. "Hey now, calm down and put down the hose." Ichigo grinned up at him, laughing at my pitiful defense strategy.

"No way. Give us Michiru back and I'll think about it." Kon pulled away from Ichigo and joined Hisagi and I. Ichigo helped up Haruka and folded his arms. "We'll ambush you if you don't hand her over."

"Put me down!" Michiru continued whining until Hisagi let her go, mid-air. She yelled, surprised and quickly wrapped her arms around his neck. "Hisagi, you're such a jerk!" She slid down to the ground and turned towards her team but Hisagi grabbed her arm and pulled her back to kiss her quickly. She smiled and shoved him away. She returned to her team and Ichigo twisted the knob until the water stopped.

"Okay, let's call a truce." Hisagi held his hand out to Ichigo. After a few moments of thought, he nodded and shook Hisagi's hand.

"Okay, truce." With that Michiru headed towards the deck and grabbed a few towels, tossing us each one. She stepped down from the deck and headed towards the door we had exited before. We all broke off into pairs as Ichigo fell into step with me.

"You look a little cold." He smiled as I pulled the towel tighter around my arms. I glared up at him.

"Ha ha." He laughed and nudged me with his elbow.

"Come on Rukia, you can be a better sport than that can't you?" I tried to keep a smile off my face as I spoke.

"You used me as a human shield, Ichigo."

"It's all part of the game." He shrugged and glanced over my head towards the fence surrounding the large back yard. I glanced in that direction, unsure of what he was looking at.

"Well it was unappreciated." I turned my attention back to the house but noticed Ichigo glance back again. Again my gaze followed his, a confused expression crossing my features. "What are you looking-" Before I could finish I felt Ichigo scoop me up quickly as he began heading towards a large black hot tub. "What are you doing?" Without saying anything else he tossed me in and the warm water soaked through my towel. I pushed it away and sat up with hair plastered to my face and a glare resting on my brow. I heard Hisagi yell before approaching.

"Hey, you broke our alliance! You traitor! Let's get him Kon." Ichigo held his hands up defensively. As I wiped hair out of my face they both grabbed him and pushed him into the hot tub. He landed on top of me, pushing me back to the bottom. I made my way out of the water, shoving Ichigo in the process, and began pulling more hair away from my eyes. Ichigo sat up and laughed, running a hand through his hair absently.

"You asshole!" I shoved Ichigo and stood. Hisagi held his hand out to me and helped me step out of the hot tub without slipping. "Thanks," I said as he handed me his towel. Ichigo pulled himself out and stood next to me dripping. "Get away from me, Ichigo." He laughed and shoved me playfully causing me to smile and step closer to Hisagi.

"You'll live." I rolled my eyes and continued towards the house with Hisagi, who just laughed at my actions and followed me.

We went inside and curled up in our towels on Michiru's living room floor. Hisagi took the towel from Michiru and wrapped it around himself before pulling her in his lap. I sat next to Kon and wrapped my arms around my legs, trying to keep myself warm. Kon noticed and smiled before laying a hand on my back.

"You okay?" I smiled up at him and nodded.

"Yeah thanks." Ichigo sat on my other side and stretched out his legs. He leaned back on his hands and nudged me with his shoulder.

"Getting warmer?" I couldn't keep the smile spreading on my face as I shoved him back, knocking him over on his side.

"I swear to God, I'll punch you in your fucking face." Hisagi and Kon laughed loudly and Michiru smiled at me before holding her hand to her mouth.

"Sh, try not to swear around my parents okay?" I nodded before she continued. "Thanks, I asked Mei-Mei to make us some hot tea, so we'll have something to help us warm up." Haruka turned her attention to me and smiled.

"So Rukia, how do you like this little family Michiru put together?" I smiled and shrugged slightly.

"Most of them are really nice."

"And entertaining." I nodded and stretched my legs out.

"They definitely are." She laughed, pulling her towel around her shoulders.

"So, you have a boyfriend?" I couldn't help sighing as I answered, sort of sick of this question.

"No."

"Mm." Her gaze shifted to both Kon and Ichigo before she smiled at me again. Michiru noticed and chimed in.

"No, no, don't look at Kon like that. He gave his hear t to some little freshman the other day." Kon laughed and rolled his eyes, brushing off her comment.

"More like sold his soul to her," Hisagi said as he glanced at his sister. Haruka's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Oh really now, so that's what that battle scar is all about." Hisagi turned to Ichigo, directing his next statement to him.

"Could you imagine Kon getting a girl that cute, no one would believe it." The two boys laughed as Ichigo nodded his head.

"I don't think I would believe it." Kon sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Calm down, we're just messing with you. I think you have it in you, if you tried hard enough." Haruka looked at Ichigo, her eyebrows turned down.

"Is she really out of his league?" Hisagi chuckled and answered for him.

"Hell yes. If she were a few years older, she'd be out of all of our leagues." Ichigo laughed loudly and reached behind me to nudge Kon.

"He's right, you better get her so we can all enjoy her company if a few years."

"Ichigo, you sound so creepy." Michiru wrinkled her nose but couldn't help laughing. Hisagi wrapped his arms around her and directed his gaze to Kon.

"Man, I'll totally trade you." Michiru turned to glare up at him and opened her mouth but stopped when she noticed a tall woman enter the room. Her dark hair was pulled up in a bun and she wore formal clothing, she looked like she had just left an office. Her eyebrows turned down slightly as she sat a tray down on the coffee table.

"You guys need to stop talking about the girls like they're your property." She smiled down at Hisagi and ruffled up his hair. "No trading, I like you a lot better than Michiru's old boyfriend." He grinned up at her happily, showing her his teeth.

"You just like having my pretty face around." The woman laughed and shook her head. Michiru looked up at him before joining the conversation.

"I forgot to tell you, Mei-Mei got engaged!"

"You said yes?" Hisagi shook his head and continued. "You ruined our chance, Mei-Mei." He smiled as his sister shoved him. "Congrats, really. You're not leaving us though, are you?"

"Please, I love my job, of course not. Oh, I forgot to tell you guys, Renji came over. He's talking to your mom right now so I made him a cup of tea too. I told him where you guys were so he should be here soon." She stepped back and waved at us all. "Well, I'm going to head home. I'll see you later, it was nice seeing you all again." Her smile widened as she said goodbye. Everyone sort of yelled goodbye at her as Michiru handed out the cups of tea. Before she had time to sit back in Hisagi's lap, Renji walked in the room smiling widely.

"Hey guys," he said as he waved. His eyes turned towards Haruka and his smile widened. "Hey, I didn't know you were here." He walked over to her, took a seat at her side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "What did you guys do, get in the pool?"

"Nope, the pool hasn't been opened yet so we had an intense water balloon fight. You totally missed out on all the fun." Renji rolled his eyes as he kicked off his shoes.

"Mina wanted to 'talk' so I was stuck at home listening to her." A concerned expression fell across Michiru's face.

"What happened? Are you guys alright?" He nodded.

"Yeah, we're fine; she was just complaining that I don't take our relationship serious enough." He shrugged and brushed off the subject. "I'll tell you about it later."

"Okay, maybe you can stay over tonight!" She smiled widely and he nodded his head in agreement.

"Anyway, I came here to tell you guys that I got a text from Kiba." Hisagi looked at Renji confused, cocking an eyebrow.

"So?"

"He told me that he got Tatsuki to agree to go out with him." A smile spread over Renji's face.

"Are you serious? God that kid is weird." Ichigo responded, looking amused. I honestly didn't understand what was so funny.

"I know, isn't that hilarious?" He shook his head and pulled Haruka closer. He looked around the room, a disappointed expression on his face. "I can't believe I missed seeing you girls in your bathing suits. I feel left out and sort of hurt for not being invited Michiru. Thanks a lot." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"You see more than enough of your girlfriend Renji; you don't need to creep around my backyard enjoying the view." He scoffed at her words and looked at Hisagi.

"How do you date her? Michiru, I don't know about your boyfriend but I can never get enough of my girlfriend and there's nothing wrong with enjoying bathing suit season." He tugged at Haruka's towel and pulled it around himself, wrapping an arm around her bare shoulders. He looked down at his towel buddy and smiled. "You don't mind me appreciating your body do you?" She shrugged and answered.

"Not really, someone should, but I don't think my boyfriend would like it very much." Renji looked around the room as he feigned confusion.

"I don't think your boyfriend is here, Haruka. I mean, I don't see him anywhere." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't matter, Renji, you still need to watch those boundaries."

"Whatever," he stated as his eyes slid over to me. "You haven't put boundaries between us, have you Rukia?" I laughed and pulled my towel tighter around myself.

"Renji, your girlfriend automatically puts boundaries up between you and every other girl, whether you like it or not. Even so, yes I have." He shook his head and stood, heading over towards me. He pushed Ichigo aside and sat next to me. I scooted closer to Kon, putting more distance between Renji and myself.

"No, no, no, get back here." He grabbed me by my shoulder and pulled me tightly under his arm. "You gotta lighten up, Rukia." I felt my breathing quicken as I tried to pull away.

"Renji stop, I'm claustrophobic!" His grip loosened and he put a little more distance between us as a look of concern crossed his face.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know. Are you okay?" I nodded and pushed my bangs away from my face. After a few deep, steadying breaths I verbally answered.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now get off me." I pushed his arm away, earning a few laughs.

"I'm ready to get out of this wet bathing suit, come on Rukia, Haruka." Haruka and I stood and followed her up the stairs. I quickly got changed back in my school uniform, happy to be completely dry and warm. Michiru and Haruka sat on the bed as I stepped out of the bathroom. "Come here Kia; let us braid your hair." I smiled and approached them, sitting on the edge of the bed as they started tugging tightly on my hair. After five painful minutes, they had successfully put my hair in a French braid. Michiru stood and I noticed she had changed into jeans and a t-shirt.

"Do you want to borrow something? You don't have to wear your uniform." I shook my head and stood, joining them.

"No thanks, I should probably get going. I still have to study."

"Oh, okay. I hope you had fun, I sure did." I couldn't help but laugh.

"Of course, I had a blast. I really appreciate your invitation."

"Don't appreciate it, you're part of the group. We want you around Rukia, we love you." She smiled and gave me a quick hug. My smile faltered slightly but I tried to keep the panic rising in me hidden. Her words bridged a distance I had tried to keep between myself and these people. She turned and headed towards the restroom.

"Hold on a second, I want to give you something." Haruka stood and walked over to me, a grin on her face.

"You know, she's right, you fit in really well. Don't take that as an insult but it's true." She laughed at her own words and continued. "Anyway, it was really nice meeting you. You should totatlly come over and have dinner with us sometime. Maybe next week when Hibiki comes over!"

"Sure, sounds good."

"Great!" She hugged me tightly as Michiru entered the room. She held a plastic bag out to me and smiled.

"Here, you can have this bathing suit. The yellow color looked good with your pale complexion." We all laughed and I took the bag.

"Thanks," I hesitantly took the bag and we headed downstairs. As we reached the bottom of the stair case, we met Ichigo and Kon. They had both put their t-shirts on and had their school bags in hand. Michiru gave them a confused and disappointed look.

"Are you guys leaving too?"

"Yeah, Kon's dad texted him and told him to get home." Ichigo rolled his eyes as Haruka approached them. She hugged both of them tightly and said her goodbyes.

"It was so great seeing you two again! You all have to come over and see Hibiki next week, she's bringing the hubby and kids." Kon nodded and smiled.

"Totally, just let us know when she gets home."

"Will do, bye Rukia! It was great meeting you! We should totally have lunch or something and get to know each other, sound good?"

"Sure," I said, taking a few steps closer to the door.

"Okay, I'll get your number from Michi." I nodded and Kon nudged me towards the exit. With that I grabbed the handle and headed out the door. Kon turned towards me, following me towards my car.

"I think I left my tie in my in your car, do you care if I look?"

"Of course not." I unlocked the car and opened my door, sliding in as Kon looked under the passenger seat. He quickly pulled his uniformed tie out and grinned up at me.

"Bye Rukia, I'll see you tomorrow! I'll text you when I get home."

"Okay, I'll talk to you later Kon." He nodded and shut the passenger door, walking over to Ichigo's truck. As I started my car, I heard my phone go off in my school bag. I sighed, assuming it was Byuakuya, wondering where I was. After digging in my bag I pulled my phone and looked at the screen. I glanced up at Ichigo who was looking in my direction. He had sent me a text message and I gave him an unsure look before I turned back to my cell phone and opened it.

**Hey, do you wanna hang out after I drop Kon off?**

I felt my eyebrows furrow in confusion as I glanced back up towards Ichigo's truck. He was already backing up and turning his wheels towards the gates. Both he and Kon waved before they left. I started spelling my response.

**I think I've spent enough time with you for today, but thanks.**

I didn't expect him to answer me anytime soon and sat my phone on the passenger seat. I buckled and checked my mirrors before backing up and driving home. The ride was about twenty minutes and I almost got lost because of the unfamiliar path but made my home in decent time. While pulling into the driveway my phone went off, vibrating on the seat next to me. I parked next to Byuakuya's sleek black vehicle and turned the car off before grabbing my school bag, my phone, and the plastic bag containing the bathing suit from Michiru. After entering the house I tossed my bags on the coffee table and sat on the arm of the couch, opening the message from Ichigo.

**Are you seriously pissed at me? You know I was just messing with you right?**

I couldn't help the smile that spread over my face. Byuakuya came in the room and gave me a confused look, distracting me from my phone.

"What?"

"Nothing. Did you go swimming?" His eyes were on my hair and I realized it was still dark with moisture because of my braid.

"Oh, no, we had a water balloon fight." He smiled and nodded.

"I'm glad you're having fun. Your hair looks good like that." I furrowed my brow and nodded, a small smile still resting on my face.

"Thanks." I turned my attention back to my phone and responded to Ichigo's text message.

**No, I'm just giving you a hard time. I guess I could put up with you.**

I glanced back up at Byuakuya who was watching me again. His eyebrows were turned down curiously.

"Who are you talking to?"

"Why?" He blinked and shook his head.

"Sorry, never mind." He scratched the back of his head and stepped back. "I'm going to start dinner in a few minutes."

"Byuakuya?" I asked as my phone went off in my hand. Ignoring it, I sat it aside and waited for him to respond.

"Yes?"

"Do you need some help around here?" His confused expression spread over his face again. "I mean, you work all day and bring work home. You shouldn't have to cook too...I can help out if you need me to." He shook his head and smiled.

"That's really sweet of you but you shouldn't have to pick up your sister's responsibilities. I want you to enjoy your high school years, not worry about making dinner or cleaning up. I'm the one in the parent or guardian position and I can take care of it."

"But your job is really time consuming and stressful. I don't mind helping."

"If I get overwhelmed I'll ask but until then, don't worry about it okay?" I nodded as he turned and headed towards the kitchen. My eyes went back to my phone as I opened his message.

**Okay, so I can come over?**

My fingers began moving over the keyboard as I sighed, unhappy with his choice of location.

**Why do you want to come over here? To meet my brother?**

I heard a few pots clank together as guilt settled in my chest. Byuakuya was taking on a lot of responsiblities which gave him less time to deal with Hisana's death. As angry as I was with him, he was still my brother and I hoped he would ask for my help soon. My phone vibrated in my hand and I absently opened the message.

**Actually, yes. Send me your address and I'll be there soon.**

My eyes rolled at his response as I sent him my address. I stood and headed towards the kitchen, almost nervous to tell Byuakuya. He heard my feet shuffle as I entered and turned, smiling at me. His hands were digging through the cabinet.

"Hey Byuakuya, a friend is coming over to study and hang out for a while. Is it alright if he stays for dinner?" He blinked and stopped searching for his lost item. His expression grew stern, making him look like a pissed off father. I sighed, which gained his attention.

"Sure, but dinner will be at the table tonight, okay?" I groaned and turned around, heading towards the door. "I'm serious, Rukia."

"You're making too big of a deal out of it." I grabbed my bags and headed upstairs, dreading the rest of the afternoon.

-:-

Ichigo showed up a half an hour later, he pulled up only five minutes after I had gotten out of the shower. I had thought about changing into some jeans but decided to put my sweats on, not really caring what Ichigo would think. When I heard his noisy truck pull into the driveway, I tried to hurry downstairs and open the door for him but Byuakuya beat me to it. When I reached the bottom of the stairs I saw my brother staring him down, practically glaring at Ichigo.

"Hey, I'm Ichigo," he said as he held his hand out to Byuakuya. Ichigo glanced over at me and smiled when our eyes met. My brother roughly shook his hand, introduced himself and let him inside. I rolled my eyes and approached them.

"Come on, Ichigo." I turned and started towards the stairs again. He followed me as Byuakuya spoke.

"Dinner will be done in about twenty minutes." I nodded without turning towards him and continued towards my room. I pulled open my door and stepped inside and grabbed my phone. I turned to find him standing extremely close to me.

"Sorry," he said as he stepped back and smiled down at me.

"I thought we were going to study. You didn't bring your school stuff." His eyebrows furrowed and he scratched the back of his neck.

"Oh, I totally forgot about that." I laughed and shook my head.

"We can use my notes after dinner."

"Rukia, can you come down here for a minute?" Byuakuya shouted from the kitchen and I sighed before heading downstairs. When I entered the kitchen I looked up at my brother expectantly. "You know I was serious about dinner right?"

"Yes, Byuakuya, I know." I looked at the set table, noticing the containers of food laying in the center. "Dinner's done?" He nodded and took a few steps towards the stairs.

"Get us a few glasses and I'll go get your friend."

I grabbed three glasses from the cabinet and looked through the fridge to see what we had to drink as Ichigo and Byuakuya stepped down the stairs. They entered the kitchen side by side and Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets, not sure where to go. I pointed to his seat and pulled out a pitcher of tea. After pouring the tea and sitting the container back in refridgerator, I sat between my brother and Ichigo.

At first dinner was silent as we all filled our plates. I hadn't sat down with Byuakuya in months for a meal and it didn't help with his strange behavior. Ichigo wasn't shy about eating and refilled his plate quickly, earning Byu's attention.

"I take it the food is okay?" Ichigo grinned up at him and nodded. He answered after swallowing the food in his mouth.

"Yeah, did you make it?" Byuakuya simply nodded. "Wow, it's good, thanks."

"Byuakuya's parents made him take a cooking class in high school." Ichigo nodded and took anohter bite. "That's where he met Hisana actually, isn't it?" I glanced up at my brother and received a nod.

"Ah, I did not know you could get a girl at a cooking class." I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"He would've gotten Hisana no matter where they met. She gushed over him." Ichigo laughed and smiled up at Byuakuya.

"Nice." He looked around the kitchen as he shoveled in more food. After drinking the rest of his tea he pushed his plate aside and waited for me to finish.

"What are you two studying for?" Byuakuya looked down at me as I stood and picked up mine and Ichigo's plates.

"We have a history test tomorrow." He nodded and stood. Byuakuya and I cleared the table quickly and put the leftovers in the fridge. Ichigo stood and we headed back upstairs to grab my notes. We went in to the upstairs sitting room and sat on the couch. I turned towards him slightly and asked him a question off of our WWII review sheet.

"Okay, America threatened to stop trade with Japan if they didn't stop invading what part of China?" Ichigo stared ahead, a thinking expression on his face.

"Hm..." He sat there for a long time and I quickly lost my patience.

"Do you know or what?" He smiled down and me and shook his head. I sighed placed a hand on my forehead. "Manchuria."

"Riiiight! Manchuira, I knew that. Okay, next question." My eyes scanned the page for another question.

"Who was the British leader who gave into Hitler's early demand of territory?" Ichigo looked so clueless and I couldn't help but laugh at his expression.

"...I dunno..." I smiled and elbowed him.

"You're going to fail this test." He shook his head.

"Just tell me the answer."

"Neville Chamberlain." Without warning he took the paper from me and started reading over the material.

"Fine, miss know-it-all, you answer the questions. What was America's strategy called that they used during the Pacific War?"

"Island hopping."

"What were the two Japanese cities that America bombed?"

"Hiroshima and Nagasaki."

"Who were 'The Big Three'?"

"FDR, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin." He glared at me and rested his arm on the back of the couch behind me. "You are such a loser." We both laughed and I shoved him before taking the paper back. We continued to go over and over the material until Ichigo started remembering some of it. We continued for at least an hour before I started yawning tiredly. Ichigo gave up so I turned the television on and handed him the remote. I continued to feel more and more tired, my eyelids growing heavy. My head rested against the back of the couch and I slowly drifted to sleep.

-:-

A strange rattling noise woke me from my sleep and I sat my head up to see where the noise was coming from. I felt Ichigo sit up next to me and noticed his arm wrapped around my shoulders. After rubbing my eyes I looked down to see my phone going off.

"Answer the stupid thing already," Ichigo groaned and pushed me, practically nudging me off the couch. I sighed and picked up my phone and turned off the alarm I forgot I had set. I rubbed my eyes again and looked at the clock.

"It's going on midnight. You better leave so I can go to bed." I smiled and stood, stretching my arms above my head. He laid down on the couch and shook his head.

"I'll just sleep here." I laughed and smacked his arm.

"I don't think so, get up." He yawned and sat up.

"I'm going to fall asleep at the wheel, Rukia."

"I'm sure you'll be fine." He smiled and shoved me, pushing me back on the coffee table.

"Thanks for your concern." We both stood and headed towards the door. I looked down the hall and saw Byuakuya's light still on. We snuck down the stairs, trying to not gain any unwanted attention from my brother, and headed out the door. I walked him to his truck and crossed my arms, feeling cold from the wind. He leaned against his truck and smiled down at me.

"You've managed to make studying slightly entertaining. And I survived your brother, he seems...nice?" I laughed and pushed some hair out of my face.

"Yeah, he's...something isn't he?"

"Does he just hate all of your friends?" I shook my head and glanced back at the house.

"He doesn't hate you, he's just...he's trying too hard. He thinks he has to be a father to me or something. I dunno..." I shrugged it off and Ichigo pushed himself off his truck and nodded. He grinned at me and pulled his keys out of his pocket. His feet shuffled as he took a step closer to me.

"I had a lot of fun with you today, Rukia."

"I'd like to say the same about you but...I'd be lying." His smile widened and he lightly grabbed my hand. My eyes widened slightly, unsure of his actions. He continued to move closer to me until his lips were pressed against mine. His other hand found its way to my back and I grabbed the sleeve of his shirt, about to push him away when he deepened the kiss. I quickly pushed him away, my eyes even wider.

"W-what are you doing?" He looked down at me, looking equally surprised.

"I dunno...I...uh...sorry." I stepped back slightly and glanced over at his truck before meeting his gaze. "I just thought it was the right thing to do...I guess I was wrong." He smiled slightly and scratched the back of his neck.

"Look...you're really nice and all but...I barely know you and-"

"I understand, I'm really sorry. Let's just forget about it, okay?" I nodded as he opened his truck door. "I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Rukia."

"Bye..." He pulled himself into his truck and quickly starting the large vehicle, probably gaining Byuakuya's attention. He backed out of the driveway and waved at me, a small smile on his face as he drove away. I turned and headed in the house, hoping I could fall asleep anytime soon.

-:-

**Okay, here it is! I hope you liked! Please review! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

I'm back again! So, I feel like I'm writing in the dark...lol, I haven't gotten any emails from fanfiction relating to feedback...I would love to hear from you guys! Anyway R&R!

-:-

I woke to the loud ring of my phone as it went off on my nightstand, alerting me of a call. Confused as to who would be calling me this early, I squinted at my phone seeing Kon's name pop up on the screen. I flipped open my phone quickly, worried that something might be wrong, and glanced at the clock. It read 5:03.

"Hello?"

"Ichigo kissed you?" He yelled into the phone and started laughing hysterically. I felt a glare form on my brow as Kon continued to chuckle on the other line.

"Kon! Why are you calling me at five in the morning? I don't get up until seven!" His laughter died down and he calmed slightly.

"Sorry, I woke up an hour ago and I couldn't wait any longer. Why didn't you text me last night? I didn't even know he was at your house. You're supposed to tell me these things, Rukia." I could tell he was smiling by the way he was talking. I sighed and rubbed my eyes.

"Don't get so excited, Kon."

"Uh, why not?" I rolled my eyes, uncomfortable with this choice of topic.

"Didn't Ichigo tell you?"

"Tell me what?" I sighed in annoyance as I stretched me legs out.

"Look, Ichigo's nice but-"

"You don't like Ichigo?" He sounded disappointed and childish. I sat up and pushed my bangs out of my face while leaning back against my bed frame.

"I don't know Ichigo."

"Yes you do. You know, the orange-haired guy with the scowl. The one who finds you amusing and smiles more because of you." I laughed and shook my head.

"I'm glad I've been able to entertain you guys but I've only been here for like three weeks." As I glanced out the window, watching the dim lit sky, I pulled the phone closer to my ear. "I don't know much about any of you."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm just saying-"

"Rukia, you should give Ichigo a chance." He cut me off, not giving me an oppurtunity to explain myself. "I think he really likes you, even if he won't talk to me about it. You know enough about him don't you? You know he's friendly, you two get along, and-"

"Why are you so concerned about it? Ichigo didn't take it this bad." I smiled, expecting him to continue giving me reasons to date Ichigo.

"I want both of you to be happy."

"I am happy, Kon."

"But what if you made Ichigo unhappy?" Again I sighed and rubbed my forhead, getting a little frustrated with his pushy arguements.

"Kon, he seemed okay yesterday. I'm sure he'll be fine."

"I guess...but it wouldn't kill you to give him a chance. You might really like him."

"I do like Ichigo, as a friend. Look, just don't tell people okay? We're just going to forget about it and act like it never happened." Kon was silent for a moment, I thought he might have hung up but wasn't sure. "Kon?"

"About that..."

"What?"

"I sort of already told Hisagi and Renji..." I couldn't help but sigh angrily at his statement. "I'm sorry, Rukia! I didn't know I wasn't supposed to, sorry."

"It's fine. Look, I'm going to grab something for breakfast, I'll see you at school." I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and stood swiftly.

"Okay, I'll see ya. Don't forget to think about what I was saying earlier. Bye, Ruk."

"Bye, Kon." After turning off my alarm I headed out the door and down the stairs towards the kitchen. The lights were on in the living room and in the kitchen. My feet tingled slightly as they brushed against the hard wood floor. I tried to approach the kitchen quietly, not sure if Byuakuya was making breakfast already. When I reached the entryway I saw my brother at the table with his head down, his arms being used as a pillow. He was donning his sweats as he snored quietly. My eyebrows turned down in concern. I advanced to the table and laid my hand on his shoulder, shaking him lightly.

"Byuakuya? Byuakuya, get up. Are you okay?" He sat his head up quickly and looked around, taking in his surroundings.

"Hm?" He rubbed his eyes and looked up at me. "What time is it?"

"It's 5:20, have you been down here all night?" He shook his head and glanced out the window.

"I came down at about one."

"Why?"

"I couldn't sleep." He stared off, looking distant. His face brought back multiple memories of our time in the hospital together.

"Oh..." He turned back to me and forced a small smile.

"I'm fine, I just have to get used to sleeping alone." I glanced away from him as a frown found it's way on my face. He grabbed my hand, carefully squeezing it. I fought to keep tears out of my eyes as more and more memories hit me. He pulled me closer and hugged me around the waist. I laid my head on his shoulder and lighlty hugged onto his neck, sighing tiredly. After a few moments I pulled away and rubbed my eyes. Byuakuya patted my arm and stretched his legs out.

"You still have a few hours, you should go upstairs and try to get some more sleep." He shook his head and stood causing me to step back.

"Thank you but no, I'm fine. I'm awake now. Do you want me to make you something for breakfast?"

"No I was just going to get some cereal, but thanks." He nodded as I walked around him to grab a bowl and spoon.

"So, why was your friend here so late?" I laughed at his sudden subject change and turned back to him.

"We fell asleep while studying." He gave me a stern look and I rolled my eyes, a smile still intact on my face. "I'm serioius, Byuakuya. My phone woke us up and I told him he had to leave." He nodded and leaned against the fridge, watching me as I grabbed a box of cereal.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"Nope."

"Do you like him?" I smiled up at him before answering.

"As a friend, yes." He nodded and stood up straight again.

"Does he like you?"

"As a friend." He pushed his long hair over his shoulder and folded his arms.

"Is that why he kissed you last night?" My eyes widened noticeably.

"Why were you watching us?"

"I heard the front door open and looked out for a second, I wasn't watching you. Believe me, I didn't want to see that." I rolled my eyes and walked past him to open the fridge. After I pulled out milk I sat at the table and filled my bowl.

"Well don't worry about it, I told him we were just friends." Byuakuya laid a hand on my head and nodded.

"Good."

"Good?" He smiled and sat back down at the table, taking the same seat he had sat in.

"Rukia, I've known you since you were in elementary school. I don't want to think about the fact that you're already old enough to date."

"You know I'm almost as old as Hisana was when you two got married." His face shifted as he grimaced.

"Don't remind me, Rukia." I laughed and took a bite of my cereal. He stared off and sighed, his exhaustion showing all over his face. "I wish she was here to see our new home and to see you so happy." My chest tightened as he spoke. He covered his face with his hands, looking stressed. "God I miss her..."

"I miss her too..." I couldn't keep the tears from running down my face but was able to keep a neutral expression on my face. I wiped them away with the back of my hand and pushed away from the table, no longer feeling very hungry. Byuakuya looked up at me and stood after grabbing the carton of milk.

"I'm sorry." He quickly opened the fridge and put the carton away.

"Don't be." After rinsing my bowl I turned and headed towards the stairs. "I'm going to go get ready for school."

It took me no longer than half an hour to get ready for school, leaving me a whole hour left before I had to leave. I felt exhausted after only getting five hours of sleep and decided to lay on the couch and read. The hour flew by and after saying goodbye to my brother, I headed out the door.

-:-

After quickly getting my books out of my locker, I headed towards the classroom. I hadn't seen anyone in the halls or run into Mina in her usual spot. When I reached the room I saw them all huddled in the back, talking and laughing. I sat my stuff down and approached them. Hisagi and Renji were laughing loudly and only laughed louder when I joined them. I couldn't help the sigh that escaped my lips, already aware of what they were talking about. Hisagi put his arm around my shoulders, smiling widely.

"Good morning, Rukia." I pushed him away and folded my arms. "Oh, I'm sorry, this must be pretty awkward with Ichigo here." Again he started laughing hysterically, Renji quickly joining him. Michiru smacked his arm, glaring at them.

"Leave them alone, you guys are such jerks!" They ignored her and continued bantering Ichigo, who just brushed them off. I wasn't in the mood for them. I was tired and agitated. "Ignore them you guys." Hisagi finally stopped laughing and roughly patted my shoulder.

"Sorry, we'll shut up." I nodded and folded my arms. Before anyone could say anything else, the bell rang and we all split up, heading to our seats. As I sat at my desk I felt someone tap my shoulder. I looked up to see Ichigo resting his hands on my desk and leaning down.

"I'm so sorry, I should've kept my mouth shut." A serious expression rested on his face but I just shrugged and smiled up at him.

"It's okay, Kon told me this morning that he told them." He nodded and stood before sitting in his own seat. We both turned towards the front of the room as the teacher started passing out our history test.

-:-

Lunch came quickly and I was grateful for break. As soon as our teacher dismissed us Kon approached me, waiting for me. We headed towards the roof and were quickly joined by Kiba and Tatsuki. At first they didn't say anything but by the time we reached the stairs leading to our usual spot they both turned towards me.

"So, you okay?" My eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"Yeah, why?" Tatsuki shrugged and continued.

"You seemed pretty pissed earlier." I shook my head.

"Nope, I'm fine."

"Oh, that's good. So...you don't like Ichigo?" I sighed as I rubbed my forehead. Kon smiled and laid his hand on my back.

"They're just friends, Tatsuki." She nodded and shrugged. Again they were silent until we reached the roof. Kon and I sat together as the rest of our friends caught up. Ichigo sat on my other side and stretched his legs out. Kon turned and peered over the edge of the building, looking at something intently and stood quickly. "I'll be right back."

"Where are you going?" Ichigo asked him, a clueless expression on his face but Kon simply waved him off. He sighed and turned back to everyone else. Hisagi looked in the direction Kon had with a concentrated look on his face. After a few moments he smiled and nodded.

"That girl's down there."

"What girl?" Ichigo turned his gaze in the same direction.

"The one from the other day, the one we met on the way to my house. What's her name? Kisa?"

"Oh! That makes sense. Yeah I see her, she's all by herself. He's probably going to ask her to come up here." Renji stood and walked towards the ledge, Hisagi following him.

"Which one is she, point her out." Hisagi's hand rose as he pointed towards Kisa.

"See that tree? She's the one sitting on the right side of it. She's the girl with the super long blonde hair, see her?" Renji nodded and laughed.

"You were right, Ichigo, he's walking up to her now. Damn, she is cute. She actually talked to Kon?"

"He's the only one she would talk to, she's insanely shy." They both turned away and sat back down.

"I hope she does come up here." The guys laughed and Mina rolled her eyes. Mina then looked over at Kiba and Tatsuki, smiling.

"So how was studying yesterday?" Kiba grinned and wrapped his arm around Tatsuki's shoulders.

"Pretty good." She pulled away and rolled her eyes, looking less annoyed with him than she had his first day.

"How was the test?"

"I think I passed," he said, laughing lightly. Mina's smile widened as she took a sip of her drink.

"That's good." I turned my attention to the doorway when I saw Kon approaching with Kisa a few steps behind him. Everyone else turned to them and I heard Hisagi chuckled quietly. Ichigo leaned back on his hands and smiled up at them.

"Hey Kisa." She nodded in response, her eyes downward. Kon's concern about Kisa's family came to my mind as she quietly approached us. After hesitating slightly, Kon was able to get her to sit down. He took his spot between Kisa and I. Kon quickly introduced her to the rest of our group as she sat there silently. She made no eye contact and didn't say a word to anyone. Her hands were nervously tugging and messing with her hair. There was an awkward silence and everyone sort of looked around at each other. Kisa brushed her hair out of her face, getting Michiru's attention.

"Kisa what happened to your neck?" Everyone turned to look at her neck at once. I saw a large purple bruise resting above her collar bone and poking out the top of her uniform before she covered it with her long locks.

"Nothing." Michiru frowned at her, concern crossing her features.

"Are you okay?" Kon rested his hand on Kisa's back, looking down at her with a worried expression on his face.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" She nodded at Kon's question, her eyes still turned down. Ichigo sat up, blocking my view, and turned towards the quiet girl.

"So, Kisa, have they moved you into the sophomore class yet?" I didn't hear her response and leaned forward slightly to see her nod. "Do you like it so far?" She shrugged before speaking.

"I guess."

"Was it hard? Are the lessons confusing?" Michiru had spoken up, distracted from her earlier concerns.

"No, I've already finished most of their courses."

"Wow, that's so weird. You went from a freshman and in two months you'll be a junior." She smiled at Kisa as she spoke. " You're so lucky."

We were all able to hold a decent conversation with Kisa throughout lunch and she seemed to grow more and more comfortable with us. Still she kept her hair resting over her shoulders and made minimal eye contact with anyone but Kon. She told us that over the summer she was supposed to be getting even further ahead in her school by starting the junior lessons a week after school started. We also learned that she was the pianist for the school's orchestra, an orchestra I didn't even know existed, and that she had already skipped a grade in elementary school.

Lunch ended quickly and everybody split into small groups and pairs. Kon abandoned me for Kisa but Ichigo fell into step with me. I felt a little uncomfortable being alone with him but tried not to show it. Honestly I thought he would avoid me for a few days before talking to me without Kon or anyone else. He nudged me with his elbow and glanced down at me.

"You're still talking to me, right?" I smiled slightly, feeling less awkward.

"Yes, Ichigo." He grinned and nodded.

"Good, I would have had to stalk you if you ignored me." We both laughed as we walked down the stairs towards our class.

"Please don't stalk me."

"Don't worry, I'm not creepy enough to be a stalker." I glanced up at him and slightly shook my head.

"I don't know about that." He opened his mouth to say something but I cut him off when I elbowed him and gestured towards Kon and Kisa. They were already standing in the hallway when Ichigo looked in their direction. Kon pushed some hair out of her face and smiled before wrapping his arms around her tightly. She gave him a small smile when he pulled away and nodded before walking towards her own classroom. Ichigo laughed quietly as Kon turned towards our class.

"That's so cute. Kon's so sweet." Ichigo laughed louder and shook his head. "What?"

"Everyone thinks that, at least all the girls that get to know him." I let out a loud laugh and shrugged.

"Are you jealous of Kon's charm and charisma?" He held his hand to his chest and nodded as we walked into the classroom.

"You know it, Rukia. He already won you over, didn't he?" I rolled my eyes and sat at my desk.

"I don't think so." I smiled and glanced at Kon who grinned back at me happily. Ichigo glanced to his right and gave Kon a thumbs up, earning a confused expression. He just turned back to the teacher, ignoring Kon's reaction and waited for the lesson to start. I did the same, still smiling from our conversation. I was surprised how easy it was to forget about our awkward encounter from the night before.

-:-

At the end of the school day I shoved my books into my school bag and stood. Ichigo stood and turned towards me but quickly turned away. Kon had started up a conversation with him but Michiru approached me, distracting me from them.

"Hey Rukia, I just wanted to apologize before you left. I'm really sorry for the way Hisagi was acting earlier. He can be really insensitve sometimes." I shook my head and pulled my bag off my desk.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine. Thanks for your concern but it wasn't a big deal." She smiled and nodded, looking less guilty.

"I'm glad, I just wasn't sure how you felt about the whole situation and I didn't want them to make you feel uncomfortable."

"Nope, they didn't phase me." She laughed and stepped back.

"Good, I'll talk to you tomorrow! Bye!" Hisagi stepped up behind her, grabbed her arm and pulled her towards the door while waving goodbye. I turned to leave and saw Ichigo hand his keys over to Kon. I waved to both of them and headed out the door.

"Rukia, hold on a second." I turned to Ichigo as he approached me quickly. "Hey, can I ask you for a favor?"

"Sure, what's up?"

"Kon is taking Kisa home with my truck and he's going to stay over for a while."

"Oh do you need a ride home?"

"Yes but I was wondering if you wanted to hang out." I blinked, sort of surprised by his question.

"Sure," I said, sounding uncertain. He noticed and laughed.

"You can say no, I won't get offended." I smiled and shook my head.

"No, we can, if you really want to see my brother again."

"Of course I do, he's only the nicest person ever." I rolled my eyes and continued out the door. Ichigo quickly fell into step with me as we headed towards the student parking lot. We walked to my car in silence and I quickly walked around to unlock the doors. Once we were inside and buckled up, I started up the car and tossed my bag in the back seat carelessly. Ichigo did the same and smiled at me.

"Can I trust your driving?"

"Of course, I'm a perfectly good driver." He fiddled with the radio and ended up turning it back off as I headed home. Again I felt sort of uncomfortable, my mind continued going back to the night before but I tried to act normal. My grip tightened slightly on the wheel, my knuckles quickly turned white.

"I hope you didn't get into trouble because I was at your house so late." I glanced over at him and shook my head.

"Nope, I told Byuakuya that we fell asleep and he didn't really care." He nodded and scratched the back of his neck.

"He's not going to be mad that I'm coming over again is he?"

"No, he probably won't be home for at least an hour." He looked surprised when I glanced over at him. "He's a lawyer and his hours are all over the place."

"Oh, are you home by yourself a lot?" I shrugged slightly.

"Sometimes, he's trying to catch up on his cases so he can replace the savings he had to spend on Hisana's hospital bills. He works a lot."

"Are you okay with that?"

"Yeah, I think it's helped him a lot. Besides, he has to work." Ichigo simply nodded in response as I pulled into my neighborhood. When we reached my driveway I noticed a slightly familiar car parked in my brother's usual spot. My brow turned down, confused as to who was there.

"Who's that?"

"I'm not sure..." The doors opened as I turned off my car and Ichigo hesitantly got out. I followed him as I finally realized who it was. Byuakuya's sister and her daughter stepped out of the car, my "aunt" smiled at me happily as Ichigo and I approached them. Ichigo stood behind me awkwardly as I waved slightly. "Hi Aunt Anzu, Kaminari." The girl smiled at me and glanced up at Ichigo. Her wavey black hair had grown a lot since I had last seen her and she stood probably three inches taller than me. She looked a lot like her mother who's hair was pulled up in a ponytail.

"Hello Rukia, we've been waiting here for a while." I tried not to sigh, already annoyed with them.

"Sorry but I was sort of at school, did Byuakuya know you were coming today?" She shook her head, still trying to look pleasant.

"No, we thought we'd just drop by for a surprise visit."

"That's probably why you were waiting." Her smile disappeared and a stern expression crossed her face.

"Rukia, behave yourself." This time I let myself sigh before I headed for the door. I heard Ichigo's footsteps behind me, slightly hesitating. After quickly unlocking the door, I walked inside and went straight for the fridge. I grabbed myself a water bottle and reentered the living room. My aunt and cousin took their time entering the house and when they did my aunt still looked pissed. "Rukia do you think could at least try to be a good hostess?" I stared at her, too angry to say anything so she sighed and continued. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Ichigo Kurosaki, Ichigo this is my Aunt Anzu Kuchiki and my cousin, Kaminari Kuchiki. Anzu is Byuakuya's sister." He nodded and greeted them, smiling at them.

"Is Kurosaki your boyfriend?"

"No, just a friend." She cocked an eyebrow and looked him over.

"Don't you think it would be more appropriate to call him by his surname?"

"It's not a big deal." She placed her hands on her hips as her daughter just stood at her side, probably used to her mother's actions.

"It's not very proper." I rolled my eyes and inhaled deeply, trying to stay calm.

"I guess I'm not very proper." She shook her head and looked around the room.

"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Her words were spoken under her breath but plainly heard. I felt a glare form on my brow as my anger began to rise out of my control.

"I don't know, why doesn't that surprise you?" She shook her head and waved off my question.

"When will Byuakuya be home?" She pissed me off more by ignoring me and I knew Ichigo could see my frustration. He took a step closer to me, standing behind me and rested his hand on my back.

"I don't know, he's not usually home until six-thirty or seven." I spoke through a clenched jaw and continued trying to soothe myself. She simply nodded and continued looking around our home.

"Hasn't Byuakuya hired anyone to clean yet?"

"No, he does most of it." She rolled her eyes and pushed her hair out of her face.

"I couldn't tell. Why don't we clean up a bit?"

"The house looks fine, besides it wouldn't be very appropriate for me to make my guests clean, would it Aunt Anzu?" I smiled as she tried to hide her own anger and turned towards the stairs. "Ichigo and I are going upstairs, feel free to anything in the fridge or cabinets."

"Thank you but I think I'm going to call Rin and ask her to come over for a few hours."

"You're calling your maid?" She nodded as she pulled her phone out of her purse. I shook my head and turned back towards her. "Don't do that, it's unnecessary." Again she waved me off and pointed up the stairs, expecting me to follow her orders. Instead I folded my arms, holding her gaze. "I'm serious, Byuakuya's going to get mad."

"He'll be fine, just go upstairs and do homework or something." Sighing, I headed for the stairs again as Ichigo followed. We quickly went to my room and I sat on my bed. Ichigo left the door sitting open and stood a few feet away.

"Is she always so...dimeaning?" I laughed at his question and nodded.

"Yeah, she's a snob, most of the Kuchikis are."

"You're brother isn't, is he?"

"Nope, if he were, he wouldn't have been with my sister." Ichigo's eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"What do you mean?" He sat down on the edge of the bed with his legs resting over the edge. I sat Indian style and turned my body until I was facing him.

"We came from a pretty poor family and most of Byu's family didn't approve of Hisana because of that."

"Oh," he said as he ran his hand through his hair. "Wait, where are your parents?" I rolled my eyes at the thought of my parents.

"They're dead, they were in a car crash when I was seven."

"...And you're...okay with that?"

"No, sorry I shouldn't act like that but they just...weren't very good parents." He stayed silent, waiting for me to elaborate. "They were both alcoholics and neither could hold a job very long. That's why we were poor. I think my mom got into prostitution to pay for their addiction."

"I'm really sorry to hear that."

"It's okay, I had Hisana." My chest clenched tightly at my statement. Ichigo noticed and laid his hand on my arm comfortingly.

"You still have Hisana, Rukia." I shook my head and turned away.

"No I don't." My voice was lower than before.

"You can still go see her can't you?"

"I can't talk to her, what's the point of going to see her?"

"Who says you can't talk to her?" He held my gaze, understanding was clearly on his face and I realized I never asked him about his mother.

"She can't answer me." He smiled and shrugged.

"You never know." He pulled his hand away and rested back on both hands. "We should go see them sometime, your sister and my mom." I nodded and opened my mouth to ask him about Mrs. Kurosaki but was interupted when Kaminari walked in my room.

"Hey!" She smiled and stood in front of us with her hands on her hips. "I had to get away from my mother." I laughed and nodded.

"I don't blame you, if I lived with that woman I'd kill myself." Ichigo laughed but Kaminari just stared at me blankly.

"She's not that bad, your house is pretty messy." She sounded so much like her mother and I rolled my eyes, missing the way she used to be. We were actually pretty close as preteens but her mother got to her progressively over the years.

"She's a bitch and you can tell her I said that." Ichigo looked over at me, a concentrated look on his face. "What?"

"Wait, she's not your aunt. Isn't she technically your sister?" I nodded and shrugged.

"When 'Yuakuya adopted me, they told me she was my aunt because she's so much older than me."

"So she's your niece by marriage?" He gestured towards Kaminari.

"Yup but because we're so close in age, they told both of us we were cousins."

"How old are you?" He glanced up at her, still resting back on his palms.

"I"m sixteen." His eyebrows rose slightly.

"You're tall for sixteen." She shook her head, a smile on her face.

"Not really."

"Hm, I guess she just looks tall next to you, huh Rukia?" He grinned over at me and I kicked him, smiling back.

"Shut up, she's only a few inches taller than me." His smile widened and Kaminari spoke up again.

"So what school do you guys go to?" She sat on the bed next to Ichigo, directing her question to him.

"Karakura High," he answered, looking down at her.

"The public school?" Her nose wrinkled in disgust, causing Ichigo to laugh.

"No, the private one." He glanced over at me and rolled his eyes. I laughed under my breathe and spoke while I had his attention.

"You know Kiba came from the public school."

"He did?"

"Yup, he was kicked out of the public high school." Ichigo chuckled and shook his head.

"I don't know much about him but him and Renji and Hisagi are like best friends."

"Really? Well he seems really friendly-" Kaminari cut me off, leaning over to see me.

"You guys are being kind of rude don't you think?" Ichigo turned back to her quickly.

"Chill, Kami, you're the one who came in here and interupted our conversation." He smiled, obviously joking with her. She flashed him a smile and her face tinted red as she blushed slightly.

"Well you could include me." Before any of us could speak again someone knocked on my open door and we all turned to see Byuakuya standing in the doorway. My eyebrows turned down.

"Hey Byu, what are you doing home so early? It's going on five." He held up his briefcase that was so full of papers that it wouldn't close completely.

"I brought work home." Ichigo sat up and gave him a sympathetic look as he spoke.

"Hi Uncle!" Kaminari grinned up at him and he smiled back, looking exhausted. I remembered that he slept at the table the night before and began worrying about his health. He was working himself too hard and it wasn't hard to see.

"Hello, Kaminari. How have you been?" She stood and hugged him, her head almost reaching his shoulder, showing me just how tall she really was. He lightly wrapped his arms around her before she pulled away and tipped her head back to look at him.

"Pretty good, I'm ready for the summer though, aren't you?" His expression shifted and he looked puzzled.

"Summer is pretty far away, you'll be waiting for a while."

"Byuakuya summer starts in like a month and a half." He looked down at me as I spoke.

"Really?" I grinned and felt sort of bad for him, he couldn't even keep up with the date anymore.

"Yes." He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. He looked down at Ichigo, loooking less friendly than before. "Hello." Ichigo grinned up at him and waved slightly.

"Hey, Byuakuya. How was your day?" I glanced back at my brother and waited for his response.

"I've had better days but I can't complain. Thanks for asking. How was that test?" Ichigo laughed and shrugged.

"Well I knew a lot more because of Rukia but I still probably didn't do very well." He stretched his legs out and continued. "History is not my subject."

"I'm glad she could help." Ichigo just nodded and smiled. "Well, I'm going to get some of this work done. Rukia, you don't care if I order something for dinner tonight do you?"

"No, that's fine." He nodded and headed back towards the stairs. Ichigo turned to me as soon as my brother was gone.

"He looks exhausted, we didn't keep him up last night did we?"

"No, he went downstairs and fell asleep at the kitchen table last night at one in the morning because he couldn't sleep. He said he has to get used to sleeping alone." Ichigo frowned slightly.

"Yeah, my dad did the same sort of things. Why doesn't your brother take a longer break from work? Do you guys need his income that badly?"

"Not really but I think he'd be worse off emotionally if he didn't have work to distract him." He nodded and pulled his legs away from the edge of the bed.

"He's already had three months away from work, he should be managing better." Kaminari flipped her hair over her shoulder and I glared up at her, getting defensive.

"Shut the hell up, he's doing the best he can." She rolled her eyes at my anger and opened her mouth but I cut her off. "Back off, you have no fucking idea what he's going through." Again she stared at me blankly and I clenched my fists.

"He can always get married again, his world shouldn't stop because his wife died." I registered her words and practically launched myself off the bed towards her. Ichigo quickly grabbed me and pushed me back down before I could get close enough to her to punch her. He tried to soothe my anger but I ignored his words. "Dear God, get a hold of yourself Rukia." Ichigo turned to her, a look on his face telling me that he was pissed with her too.

"Could you at least try to be sensitive? They just lost Hisana a month ago." Her face still looked sour but soon she frowned and folded her arms.

"I'm sorry Rukia, I was being insensitive." I narrowed my eyes at her, her apology was so fake but I doubted Ichigo could tell. She had become a good liar but I decided not to comfront her about it. Instead of accepting the "apology" I pointed towards the door and addressed her.

"Just leave me alone for a while." She nodded, trying to look sympathetic and left without another word. I sighed loudly and rested my head in my hands. Ichigo pushed some hair out of my face, leaning closer to me slightly.

"You okay?" I nodded and sat up, putting some distance between us.

"Yeah, thanks." I stretched my legs out as far as I could without touching Ichigo but when he noticed, he pulled them over his own legs. It didn't make me uncomfortable but I was surprised he was still so comfortable with me after I rejected him. Again I sighed and glanced towards the entryway. Ichigo kicked off his shoes as his hands went to my shoe laces. He quickly untied my shoes and carefully slid them off. I smiled at him as he tossed them towards my closet. His eyes met mine and he grinned back at me.

"No shoes on the bed, that would be inappropriate, Rukia." We both laughed loudly when my brother reentered the room. I turned towards him, my smile still intact. He returned the gesture slightly before his gaze went to Ichigo.

"Would you like to stay for dinner again? I need something to eat while I work and I don't think I can wait much longer." I was surprised by his friendly attitude but Ichigo acted normally, as if it didn't phase him.

"Sure, if I'm not causing any inconvenience."

"Of course not, you're welcome to stay. Do either of you have a preference or any idea of what you want?" Ichigo shrugged and answered before I had the chance to voice my opinion.

"Anything's fine with me." I nodded in agreement, deciding to let Byuakuya make the choice.

"Okay, I'll let Kaminari and Anzu decide." I glared at him angrily.

"They're staying?" He smiled at me, looking amused.

"Yes, she called Rin over and they're staying until she's got the house clean." He rolled his eyes and leaned against the door frame. "If they get out of control, I'll take care of them, I promise Rukia." He continued when I didn't respond. "I'll call you guys down when the food gets here." He stood and left without another word, leaving Ichigo speechless. I smiled at his expression that now showed his shock.

"I think he's warming up to you Ichigo." He smiled down at me and laughed.

"I hope so, I don't want him to hate me." I laughed and laid back, resting my head on my pillow. My eyes slid shut and I let out a tired sigh. I felt drained of energy due to my anger towards Kaminari. Ichigo slid back farther on my bed and carefully pulled away from my legs. Then he laid down next to me, resting on his back. I glanced over at him, giving him a look and said, "Sure, make yourself at home." He looked down at me and shrugged.

"I already did." His smile widened and he continued. "Why are you so easy to be around?" I was surprised by his question but decided to make light of it.

"Because I'm so awesome, it's just one of my best qualities." He laughed and elbowed me.

"I'm being serious, I thought you would make me feel uncomfortable after that dumb shit I pulled last night but you don't. It almost feels easier than yesterday, it kind of sucks." I sat up, resting my weight on my elbow and laughed.

"Why does it suck? I'm glad we're not uncomfortable with each other." He shook his head, looking up at me.

"No, that's not what I was talking about." He sighed and stared up at my ceiling. He chuckled quietly and finished his explanation. "I like you more than I did yesterday, I know I should just accept that we're friends but after hanging out with you today, I couldn't help but feeling more for you." I blinked, shocked by his honesty and sat there quietly. His eyes shifted towards mine. "Sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel awkward or anything." I shook my head and cleared my throat.

"You didn't I'm just...surprised." His face fell slightly.

"Surprised by what?"

"Your honesty." Instead of saying anything else he just shrugged. After a few moments of silence he spoke up again.

"Can I ask you something?" I nodded and waited for him to continue. "You have to be just as honest okay?"

"Sure." He glanced back up ath the ceiling, hesitating before he finally voiced his question.

"What's wrong with me?" I was silent for a few moments but soon couldn't keep myself from laughing. I rested my head back in my pillow, accidentally leaning against Ichigo's arm. I glanced up at him after I gained control and smiled.

"I'm sorry, that's really rude of me. There's nothing wrong with you, I just don't know you very well." His expression stayed the same and I was nervous that I had upset him. Laughing probably wasn't the best answer to his question. "Really, I didn't mean anything by the laughter, you just...caught me off guard." He grinned up at me and nodded.

"Can I just say something in my defense?"

"Sure, I'll try not to laugh, I promise." He snickered and sat up, now leaning all of his weight on his elbow.

"You know, people go on dates with other people to get to know them." Without thinking I let out a laugh and covered my mouth with my hand to silence my amusement. Once I had control of myself I pulled my hand away and started messing the the fabric of my pillowcase. A smile was still on my face but my eyes were now on the fabric between my fingers.

"I know..." He reached up and pushed my bangs away from my face, getting my attention again. His mouth opened as he pulled his hand away but before he said anything his eyes went to the door. I turned around to see Kaminari standing there.

"The food is here." I nodded and sat up, hoping she didn't hear any of our conversation. She didn't leave when we stood and she quickly made conversation with Ichigo, standing closely at his side. I rolled my eyes at her desperate act but was quickly distracted by my phone. I heard it going off in my school bag. They headed down the stairs and Ichigo looked back at me to see what I was doing. I ignored him as they left and quickly grabbed the phone. The time flashed up at me, surprising me. Ichigo and I had been talking for nearly forty minutes. When I flipped open the device I saw Kon's name pop up, he had texted me. I opened the message quickly.

**Hey Rukia! Is Ichigo with you? He's not home.**

I rolled my eyes and grinned at Kon's nosey behavior. My fingers started typing my response as I threw my bag back on the floor.

**Hi Kon! Yes he's here, how was your time with Kisa?**

I flipped shut my phone and quickly headed down the stairs, meeting Byuakuya at the bottom. He smiled down at me and we headed towards the kitchen. When I reached it I saw Ichigo wedged between my aunt and cousin at the kitchen table. He smiled at me and my brother as we sat on the other side. Byuakuya had a pile of work on his side and after he got something to eat on his plate his work had his attention. They had ordered the food from a local restaurant, the food being rice, miso soup, some fried rice and vegetable blend, and a large pitcher of tea. Ichigo and I dug in, grabbing the random boxes on the table and pouring some of everything on our plates. Anzu waited for Kaminari to get food before she filled her own plate. My phone beeped in my lap, notifying me of another message. I picked up the phone and opened Kon's reply.

**:P What are you doing? Am I interupting? Lol, it was great but her mom made me leave pretty early, her dad was pissed that I was there. BUT we kissed, I really like her Rukia.**

I sat my utensil down and starting answering the text. I noticed my aunt turn her attention towards me. She sighed and opened her mouth, distracting me from the task at hand.

"Byuakuya, do you really allow such disrespectful behavior at your table?" He looked up at her and turned to me, looking directly at my phone. His eyes went to his sister and he shrugged.

"It's not a big deal, Anzu. I'm doing the same thing." With his approval I looked back at my phone and ignored my aunt's complaints.

**:| We're eating dinner with my family, you're not interupting anything. Is her dad an asshole or something? Aw! That's really exciting Kon, I'm glad you're so happy :)**

Ichigo looked up at me, his eyebrows turned down. I took a quick bite and flipped my phone shut. After taking a drink from my glass I explained.

"Kon's texting me about his time at Kisa's." Ichigo laughed and rolled his eyes.

"That poor girl probably feels suffocated with Kon." I smiled and shrugged.

"I dunno, Kon said that they kissed." His eyebrows went up, he didn't look too surprised.

"Good for Kon." I laughed and took another bite. My phone went off in my lap again and I read the message as I chewed the food in my mouth.

**Haha, you know I'm just messing with you Rukia. Yeah, her dad is a drunk, I'm almost positive he hits her and it pisses me off, she won't tell me though. Lol, thanks, I wish you were this happy ;)  
><strong>  
>I heard Kaminari make conversation with Ichigo as I spelled out my reply. While texting I turned to see my brother's plate still full. He had just pushed the food around and ignored his stomach. I elbowed him to get his attention and once he turned to me I voiced my concern.<p>

"Byuakuya, eat your food, you just told us how hungry you are." He looked down at his plate before smiling back at me.

"I'll eat, don't worry. I'm just...focused right now." I continued staring at him, not budging until he ate something. He sighed and took a few bites before turning back to his work. My eyes went back to my phone after I was sure he was okay.

That's scary, Kon. How does she act around him? Thanks for your concern but I am happy.

"How do you like your new school, Rukia?" I looked up at my aunt and shrugged.

"It's fine, boring but so was my old school."

"You seem to be doing okay socially."

"I guess." Ichigo turned from his conversation with Kaminari and smiled at me. I returned the gesture and took another bite. My aunt turned back to my brother and started talking with him, distracting him slightly from his work. I looked down at my vibrating phone and opened Kon's message.

**She just stares at him while he yells at her, like he's not there screaming in her face. I dunno, it worries me. She told me that she was "taught not to communicate." Ever since she was young he banned her from talking. You're probably only happy because Ichigo's there haha ;P**

My first reaction to Kon's message was concern, that sounded like mental abuse or neglect and it gave me a new understanding for her. But when I read the end of the text I found myself glancing up at Ichigo. Honestly, at that moment, he was the only reason I was happy. I would have killed myself if I had to sit through dinner alone with my aunt and cousin. Still, if I was going to be honest with myself, I was happier when we hung out. He was definitely amusing and for some reason he liked me. It was obvious that he was concerned about me and sort of protective. I still couldn't let myself like him back, I thought about all my emotional problems and how much I really did hide, even from him. He wasn't seeing the real me, so he couldn't have any sort of feelings for me.

"Are you okay, Rukia?" I blinked after realizing that I had been staring right through him. I nodded and smiled, though his face held a look of concern. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, just lost in thought." His expression softened and he turned back to his food. My attention went back to my phone.

**That sounds like abuse to me. Poor Kisa, doesn't her mother care at all? No wonder she's so shy and quiet.**

After sending that message I quickly finished my dinner and noticed everyone else but Byuakuya finishing up also. I stood and started clearing the table. Ichigo surprised me and started helping me. He followed me to the sink and lightly grabbed my wrist when I turned to put the leftovers away.

"Are you sure you're okay? You didn't look fine earlier."

"Yeah, Kon's just telling me some concerning things about Kisa's dad." He looked confused but I lightly pulled away and took a step towards the table. "I'll tell you about it later." He nodded and we both continued to put everything away, giving Byuakuya more room to finish eating and to work. Once everything was off the table I leaned against the fridge and opened Kon's latest text.

**I know but her bruises are what scare me the most. I see them all over her arms and legs but she does her best to hide them. I asked her if she'd let me take her to see Isshin because one of her bruises look really serious and apparently it's like really painful but she said no. I don't know what to do.**

I stayed in place and answered him as Ichigo leaned against the other side of the fridge, facing me.

**Maybe you could get her to "hang out" at Ichigo's one day this week and take her to Isshin that way. I know that's sort of manipulitive but she needs to see a doctor if she's in pain like that. Kon, don't worry, I'll be there for both you and Kisa if you need me. You don't have to take care of her alone.  
><strong>  
>"Are you writing a novel over there?" He smiled down at me, earning a shove. I grinned up at him before making sure the lengthy message sent. After flipping my phone shut I turned back to him.<p>

"Shut up, we are having a very serious conversation."

"I know, I'm just messing with you Kuchiki." He laughed and shoved me back, practically knocking me off my feet. Frantically, he grabbed my arm, making sure I didn't fall. "Sorry, you're just too small for anyone's good." I rolled my eyes and pulled away, trying to hide my smile. I walked around him and into the living room; he quickly followed. I stopped abruptly, causing him to practically walk into me, and turned to looke up at him. My neck strained just to see his puzzled face.

"What do you want to do?" Before he could answer, Kaminari joined our conversation.

"Ooh, we should go for a walk!" Ichigo shrugged, his eyes still on me.

"Okay." I looked around Ichigo to see Byuakuya. "Hey 'Yuakuya, we're going to go for a walk. We'll stay in the neighborhood."

"Okay, take your phone with you and don't stay out if it gets dark." He spoke without looking away from his file of papers. Ichigo laughed at his words and spoke up.

"Don't worry Byuakuya, it's only like six. It won't get dark for a while." He nodded, not really hearing him. With that we headed out the door after telling Aunt Anzu about our walk. The walk started in silence and it was sort of awkward with Kaminari there. Ichigo walked between us, knowing that I was still frustrated with her. His arm brushed against mine but I honestly didn't mind the lack of distance. My phone finally went off over an unusually long period, breaking the silence between us.

**:) Thanks Rukia, I appreciate it! That's a good idea, I'll ask her about it. Well, I'll leave you guys alone, I know Ichigo's already jealous of our close relationship. I wouldn't want him to get mad at you for ignoring him. Haha, have fun and this time you better tell me if he does anything else! TTYL Love ya!**

I smiled and quickly answered so I could give my "guests" my attention.

**Ha ha, note that sarcastic laugh. Love you too, and if anything goes on at home go to Ichigo's okay? Bye!**

"Love you? What are you guys, girlfriends?" Ichigo laughed as he read the message I sent to Kon. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he spoke.

"Shut up, you just don't understand the connection we share. We're practically the same person." We both laughed, he nudged me, apparently discouraging those kinds of jokes.

"You guys are leaving me out again." We turned to Kaminari who had grabbed Ichigo's forearm, pulling herself closer to him. "So, Ichigo, do you have a girlfriend?" He turned to look down at me and smiled; he looked like he was holding in laughter but quickly gave her his attention again.

"No, I don't. Do you?" I laughed at his dumb question, soon getting his own laughter in the mix. She rolled her eyes and flipped her hair, taking our cackles lightly.

"Of course I don't, don't be ridiculous." He shrugged and leaned a little closer to me.

"Just making sure, you can never be sure with this one so I thought it might...run in the family." He laughed again and I punched his arm. Kaminari looked over at me disgustedly.

"Are you a lesbian?" Ichigo stopped abruptly and started laughing hysterically, resting his hands on his knees. I sighed and shook my head.

"No, he's being an idiot because of a joke I made once."

"Oh..."

"Will you get up already? You are not that funny." He stood and caught his breath. I turned to continue without them but stopped when I saw Renji and Mina approaching us, smiling. She quickened her pace, pulling her boyfriend with her by the hand.

"Hi guys! What are you up to?"

"We're supposed to be taking a walk but this moron apparently isn't capable." Renji laughed and ruffled up my hair roughly.

"Did I ever tell you how glad I was you moved here? You're too funny to not be around." I chuckled under my breathe and shrugged off his comment. Renji looked over at Kaminari and nudged Mina slightly. "Who're you?"

"I'm Kaminari Kuchiki, who're you?"

"You're related to Rukia?" She nodded as Ichigo finally composed himself. He stepped closer to me.

"I'm her cousin."

"Oh, I'm Mina Aburamai and this is my boyfriend Renji Abarai." Mina bowed her head slightly and smiled at Kaminari. "It's nice to meet you." Renji waved, adding his own greeting but gave her little attention.

"Do you live in this neighborhood Rukia?"

"Yes, like three houses down." I pointed in the direction we came from as he looked at the homes.

"Sweet, you only live like down the block from Mina." His smile widened and he turned to Ichigo. "Now Ichigo and I can egg your house this summer." I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Be nice, Renji." He brushed off Mina's comment and stepped back.

"Well, we gotta get back to Mina's for dinner. Bye, have fun." He grinned at Ichigo and pulled Mina around us after we all said our goodbyes. Before the three of us could say anything else, Icihgo's phone went off. He pulled it out of his pocket and answered it, turning around for a little privacy. With his attention elsewhere, Kaminari turned to me excitedly.

"Oh my gosh, your friend Ichigo is so cute. I'm totally asking him out! I just have to get his number. Do you have it?" She spoke in hushed tones and pulled me close by the arm. This didn't surprise me, she was always trying to hook up with some "hot guy".

"If you want it you're going to ask him for it. I'm not giving his number away without his permisson." She rolled her eyes as a slight glare formed on her brow.

"God, jealous much?"

"What? I don't care if you ask him out-" Kaminari held up her hand, cutting me off as Ichigo turned around, putting his phone back in his pocket. I rolled my eyes and looked up at Ichigo expectantly.

"My dad needs me home, he needs me to help out in the clinic." I nodded, and we turned back, heading towards the house.

"Okay," We walked back to the house in silence, another awkward lull had fallen over us. When we reached the car Kaminari opened her mouth again.

"I'll go with you, let me tell my mom." She turned towards the house but I stopped her.

"No, stay here." Her head turned towards me, a glare now on her brow.

"Why?" I returned the anger and put my hands on my hips.

"Honestly? I'm sick of you and I've had more than enough of your company for the day." Her eyes turned to Ichigo as she approached him.

"Fine, since Rukia's being such a bitch, I'll ask you now. Do you think I could get your phone number?" Ichigo stared down at her, blinked a few times and glanced at me. I just stood there, waiting for them to get on with it so we could leave, not giving Ichigo any feedback. Finally he shrugged and they exchanged numbers. She grinned and waved goodbye, smiling at me before going inside, a hint of success in her expression. I got in the car and Ichigo quickly followed. At first the ride was quiet, I was still pissed with my cousin's new found attitude and Ichigo just didn't try to make conversation. We were halfway to his house when he finally spoke.

"Are you mad at me for getting her number?" I glanced at him and couldn't help a smile from spreading over my face.

"What? No, I don't care at all. Why?" He shrugged and scratched the back of his head.

"I don't know, you just seem...pissed."

"I'm pissed at her for being around, not at you. If I cared, I would tell you but I don't." He smiled, turning his entire body in his seat, facing me.

"It's too bad."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"It's too bad you don't care." Again I looked over at him, my eyebrows turned down.

"You want me to be mad at you?" Ichigo laughed and glanced out the windshield before giving me his attention.

"No, but it'd be nice if you cared." I tried to hold back a sigh, knowing the direction he was trying to go.

"Ichigo what you do is your own business, why should I care?"

"Because I want you to." I chanced a glance at him and held his gaze as long as I could while maintaining my focus on the road.

"Ichigo..." I shook my head and let out a tired sigh. "Don't waste so much time on me." I could see his expression fall in my peripheral vision as he frowned.

"Why would you say that? I'm not wasting my time, even if you forever and always just want to be friends." I continued to stare out the window, keeping my eyes on the road. "If I thought I were wasting my time, I wouldn't have kissed you in the first place."

"Ichigo, you keep telling me that you like me but you don't know me. I'm still grieving and honestly I hide a lot of my emotions and feelings. The Rukia on the inside is worthless to you or anyone else right now."

"Hey, you're not worthless Rukia, don't even say that."

"Look, I can't be in any sort of healthy relationship right now. If I did agree to go out with you and we started dating, I couldn't be there for you like a girlfriend should. I can't shoulder anymore emotions, Ichigo."

"I can."

"What?" My hands had tightened on the steering wheel due to the intensitiy of our conversation.

"I can shoulder some of those emotions. That's what a boyfriend's supposed to do, isn't it? Make you happy?" I pulled into his neighborhood and waited for him to get to his point. "I'm not grieving over a loss, Rukia, so I can handle a little more. You said a girlfriend should be there emotionally for their boyfriend, well a boyfriend should do the same." He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "I don't know why but I just feel like I have to do that for you. It's not because of guilt or pity, I just want to so bad...that's why I don't want to take no for an answer." He smiled at me as I pulled into driveway, my shock showing on my face. Ichigo laughed as I parked the car and grabbed my hand.

"Ichigo-"

"Look, I'm not asking for a relationship and I'm not asking you to share any emotions you're not ready to share. All I want is for you to give me a chance, just go out with me this weekend." I sighed and rubbed my forehead. "Am I really that bad?" I laughed and shook my head.

"No, I just..."

"What?"

"I don't want to disappoint you." He furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

"You're putting a lot of effort into this; I just don't want to say yes, go with you and...disappoint you." He chuckled and his grip on my hand tightened.

"You won't disappoint me, even if dating wasn't for us, we could still be friends. I'll be relatively happy either way." I rolled my eyes and smiled before sighing again.

"Fine."

"Are you sure?" I gave him a look, telling him how dumb a question that was.

"No actually, I changed my mind." He smiled at my sarcasm and shoved me.

"Shut up, you smart ass." We laughed and confirmed a date. Instead of just opening the door and leaving, he grabbed my arm and hugged me extremely tightly, exaggerating with a purpose. "I'll see you tomorrow, kiddo." I rolled my eyes yet again.

"Yeah, yeah." He opened the car door and stepped out. Before heading towards the house he leaned in the car.

"Saturday at four, right?"

"Yes, Ichigo. And don't be surprised if I show up with tears and gaudy mascara running down my eyes, looking like an emotional train wreck." His smile widened and he waved off my comment.

"I look forward to that." Again I laughed as he stood and headed towards the house, giving me another glance.

I drove back home, thinking about our conversation, replaying it in my head. It was hard to believe how different our...relationship was from yesterday. It had changed so much in just 24 hours and it made me nervous. The whole ride home I was thinking about what I had gotten myself and Ichigo into.

**Okay! Finally, here's chapter...seven? I don't even know, please review! ;D Hoped you liked!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey, I'm back! We're finally all settled into our new apartment so hopefully I'll have more time to write before summer ends and senior year begins! Thanks to those who did review, I appreciated that feedback! Did you guys notice the size of my last chapter? It's seriously a fourth of the stories' length. I added 10,000 words with that chapter! Anyway, please read and review! PS there is going to be some tragedies in this chapter, so beware of my gruesome tale! ;)**

-:-

The next morning I woke up late and had to rush through my morning routine just to make it to school on time. My aunt had stayed until ten o'clock the night before, lecturing me on my manners. Apparently Kaminari had told my brother and her mother that I wouldn't let her ride with Ichigo and I and Anzu got on my case. She said I was rude, mean, and it was improper for me to be giving boys a ride alone because there was no one to supervise. Byuakuya stood up for me though, telling Anzu that he trusted me and that he didn't think it was a big deal. She got pretty pissed at him but he ignored her to do his work. When they left I went straight to bed, tired and bored of the quiet.

When I did reach the classroom, the bell had just rung and I had no time to socialize. The classes passed by quickly and all my attention was on the lessons. Nothing significant occured all day and by the time lunch came around I was dying to get away from the room. I stood and Ichigo fell into step with me immediately.

"Hey, why were you so late?" He shoved his hands in his pockets and looked down at me. I craned my neck to see his face and answer.

"I woke up really late. I had probably twenty minutes to get ready and drive here." He nodded and tried to hide his grin.

"Yeah, I can tell by the looks of you." My eyes narrowed as I shoved him.

"Shut up." He laughed as we sat down in our large group. Everyone was pretty silent at first and I started wondering if something was going on. Ichigo leaned down and whispered in my ear.

"You missed it this morning, Mina and Renji broke up last night." My eyebrows went down in confusion.

"Why?"

"They had an arguement or something about how Renji doesn't take their relationship seriously and how Mina's a hypocrite. Something like that."

"They just told all of you about it this morning? With each other there?" He shook his head and continued as the others started breaking into their own conversations.

"Mina didn't meet up with us. She sort of became our friend through Renji so I guess she thought we'd all take his side or something. I'm sort of surprised that she came to lunch with us." He sat up, ending our conversation and opened his lunch. I looked at Renji who was laughing away with Hisagi and Michiru and then I turned to Mina who was sitting with Kiba and Tatsuki, looking miserably sad. She appeared sort of pissed too.

"Hey Rukia, I wanted to ask you something." Kon got my attention with his loud voice and I turned to him.

"Yeah?"

"I asked Kisa if she wanted to hang out over at Ichigo's today but she said she'd have to ask her mom. Do you wanna give us a ride to her house after school so we can ask? Then we can head over to Ichigo's house." I thought about my schedule, reminding myself of the date and realized that I had nothing to do.

"Sure but why don't you just ask Ichigo?"

"His truck won't hold all three of us." I looked over at Ichigo and furrowed my brow.

"Your truck only holds two people?" He smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, why?"

"Sounds like a pointless vehicle to have." I turned back to Kon and nodded. "Sure, I don't care."

"Cool, thanks." He grinned at me and turned back to Kisa as they induldged in their private conversation. I turned to my lunch as a phone went off. I didn't recognize the ring but looked over at Ichigo as he pulled out his cell phone. He looked at the screen and sighed.

"What?" I asked, looking up at him. He glared down at me, and turned his phone for me to see.

"Your damn cousin won't leave me alone, she's been texting me non-stop ever since I got home last night." I laughed and shrugged as he continued to glare.

"You gave her your number, it's your fault."

"You could've warned me that she was a desperate psycho!" I simply shrugged, earnly a playful punch to the arm. "I bet you knew she'd be like this, didn't you?"

"No, if you haven't noticed, I'm not close too her. Yesterday was the first time I saw her since I was fourteen."

"Really?" I nodded and took a bite of my food. "She didn't come to Hisana's funeral?"

"Nope, none of the Kuchikis did, except Byuakuya's parents and his grandfather." Ichigo's eyes narrowed, he looked angry as I spoke.

"I don't like Byuakuya's family." I laughed and shrugged again, brushing it off. "How can you take it so lightly? That was her family too."

"Not really, they all hated her so it was better for them to stay away from her funeral. They would've complained about everything or just piss me off with their presence."

"Still, a family shouldn't act like that."

"Oh well, I'm used to not having family outside of my brother and sister. I never really did before." He leaned back on his palms and looked down at me.

"Your parents didn't have any siblings?"

"Yeah, they do, I have a few aunts and I think one uncle that's alive but a lot of them are like my parents. A lot have died in similar situations as my parents." He shook his head and stared ahead.

"That's weird, not having family but your siblings." I smiled and shook my head.

"Not for me." Our attention quickly went to Michiru who was asking everyone about a math assignment. Aparently she was trying to prove to Hisagi that she had done the work correctly. As soon as she had started the conversation she was interupted by a familiar girl. She walked up to us, her hands on her hips and a glare on her face. She was the same girl who had approached Hisagi the week before. Again her attention was given to Hisagi but once he noticed her, his expression changed, showing his anger.

"What the hell do you want, Ryo?" She continued to stare down at him angrily, ignoring everyone else.

"Come here for a second." He shook his head and opened his mouth to say something but Michiru cut him off.

"Just go talk to her, Hisagi." He turned to her, a glare still residing on his face. She smiled and nudged him. "It won't kill you, just go." He rolled his eyes as he sighed, obviously annoyed with this girl but reluctantly got up and followed her a few feet away. Renji turned to Michiru, looking pissed with Ryo.

"Why are you okay with that bitch?"

"She just wants to talk, it's not a big deal. You all act like it's the end of the world because she wants to talk to him."

"She's trying to get him back, that's why. That whore needs to leave you guys alone." She sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Don't say that, Renji. It's obvious that Hisagi can't stand her, why should I worry about it?"

"I'm telling you, she's going to cause problems if-" Renji was cut off by a strange sound. We all turned in time to see Ryo pull her hand away from Hisagi. She must have smacked him. Michiru stood quickly and approached them as Hisagi raised his fist.

"Hisagi!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him closer to the group as we all watched surprised. "What do you think you're doing?" Michiru's attention went to Ryo who glared down at the short girl. "I think you should leave." Ryo pointed her long finger in Michiru's face.

"This isn't over, I'm not done with you Shuuhei!" Her attention shifted halfway through her sentence and then she turned and stormed away. Michiru turned to her boyfriend, an angry expression still in place.

"What did you think you were going to do? Hit her? What's wrong with you, Hisagi?"

"She pissed me off and she deserved it!" She pulled her hand away from him, looking more and more frustrated.

"Did you even think about the consequences? Besides, hitting her wouldn't have solved anything! God, you're so immature Hisagi." She turned and stomped off, forgetting about her lunch. He sighed and ran his hands through his hair. I thought he would go after her, which probably would have been a good idea but instead he sat back down and glared off. It was silent for a few more minutes but soon everyone broke into their own conversations again.

The rest of the school day dragged by slowly, every lesson was dull and consisted of constant note taking. By the time the bell rung, dismissing us for the day my hand was cramped. Kon made it to my desk quickly and stood between Ichigo and I.

"I'm going to go get Kisa, okay? I'll meet you at your car."

"Okay, I parked in the way back today because I got here so late." He nodded and walked away. Ichigo waited for me to get up. I stood quickly and gathered my things before looking over at Michiru. She left without saying a word to Hisagi, but he quickly went after her. Ichigo watched them and turned to me when they were out of the room.

"So why does Kon want you to go with him?"

"You mean to Kisa's?" He nodded. "Because I think he's scared of her dad." I gestured for him to lean closer. "Kon's almost positive that he abuses Kisa." Ichigo's eyes widened slightly.

"Oh," he nodded as he spoke. " I think I'm going to go with you guys."

"Why?"

"In case her dad does do something, Kon might not be able to handle it by himself and I don't want you or Kisa to have to get in the middle of it."

"I don't think anything is going to happen but okay." We walked out to the parking lot in silence and quickly met up with Kon and Kisa. She looked nervous when we reached them but I noticed Kon grab her hand absently. I unlocked my car and got behind the wheel. Kisa and Kon seperated and Kon got in the passenger seat. Ichigo leaned down before I could shut my door.

"I'm going to follow you guys out there, okay Kon?" Kon leaned closer to me and answered.

"Okay, it's not that far and it shouldn't take long." Ichigo nodded and stood before carefully pushing my door shut. He got into his truck as I waited for Kon's first instructions.

Kon was right, it didn't take long and I was pulling into Kisa's driveway in no time. We all got out of the car quickly and met at the front steps. Ichigo and I waited side by side for either Kon or Kisa to open the door. Kisa pushed her hair out of her eyes and walked in the house, a neutral expression on her face. Kon was a step behind her but Ichigo and I stayed near the entrance, unsure of where we were expected to be. We all slid off our shoes to be polite and Kon and Kisa headed for another room, leaving us without a word. Ichigo looked down at me, his eyebrows turned down.

"Something seems off, it feels really tense in here."

"I know, it's weird." He took a step closer to me and peaked around the door Kisa had led Kon. I could hear some mumbling and incoherent conversation.

"I can smell alcohol."

"Kon said her dad was a drunk." I talked in hushed tones and leaned closer to him. There was a loud crashing sound that came from the room and I tensed up. I took a step closer to the entryway but Ichigo grabbed my arm.

"Stay here." He hurried into the other room as Kisa's father started yelling.

"Get out of my house you little bastard!" Again I stepped closer to see what was going on. I could hear my heart thumping in my chest as I got closer to the noise. Kon was holding his head but still stood in front of Kisa. I could see blood spilling from Kon's fingers. The man lunged at them and grabbed Kisa's arm, pulling her away from Kon.

"Leave, all of you leave now! Kisa's not going with you, you better stay away from her!" As he yelled Kisa just looked down at her feet, looking guilty. Kon wiped the blood out of his eyes and glared at the man.

"What the hell is your problem?" Kisa's father shoved his daughter away, pushing her over a coffee table.

"Kisa, go away." He didn't look at her as he spoke and hardly noticed her fall to the ground. Kon tried to move around him to help her up but the man shoved him back, knocking him into the wall. Ichigo moved towards Kisa and told her to wait in the other room with me. She hesitated, looking nervous when she glanced at her father. She reluctantly stepped back into the home's entrance.

"Are you okay?" I stepped closer to her, carefully patting her arm. She nodded and ran a hand through her hair.

"I'm sorry..."

"No, don't be sorry, this isn't your fault. Are you hurt?" She shook her head and turned towards a hallway.

"I'll be right back, if anything gets out of hand let me know." I nodded as she left and looked back towards Kon and Ichigo. I turned back just in time to see Kisa's father swing his fist at Kon, hitting him in the face. My eyes widened in surprise and I took a few instinctive steps closer to the door until I was standing under the frame. Ichigo looked over at me quickly.

"Stay out of here Rukia, I'll take care of it." Ichigo turned back to the man and angrily grabbed his shirt collar. "Don't put your hands on him again, do you understand that?" The man opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by Kisa's loud scream. I looked towards the hallway where she came from, unsure of what to do. Kon stood, holding his head, and rushed in her direction. Before he could get through the hallway Kisa came back with wide eyes. Her hands grabbed at his sleeve.

"What's wrong Kisa?" She pulled him back through the hall. It didn't take but a few moments before Kon was yelling for Ichigo, sounding panicy and frantic. I followed Ichigo down the hall, entering what seemed to be the kitchen. Kon's eyes were also wide now as he pointed towards the opposite corner of the room. We turned to see and immediately my eyes widened as well. I was shocked to see an older looking woman, presumably Kisa's mother, hanging from the ceiling fan with a dark cord wrapped around her neck tightly. Her skin was incredibly white with splotches of yellow and purple. There were deep purple and red rings around her eyes as her hair lay over her shoulders.

My stomach turned as I took in the site and smell of this woman. I turned and covered my eyes, not being able to stand the site anymore. I felt sick, like I could throw up. I heard Ichigo's feet shuffle, taking a step further into the room. I pulled my hands away from my face as Kon pulled me closer to him and Kisa. He wrapped an arm around me as Ichigo moved even closer to the dead woman. Kisa's father came down the hall and I cringed closer to Kon, not sure what to predict from the man. He came in and looked at his wife, his expression never changing. He still looked pissed, maybe even looking more angry.

"That dumb bitch!" Again I couldn't help myself from cringing, feeling terrified by this man. Ichigo turned towards the man and glared. He walked around the man and pushed us towards the door.

"Come on guys, let's wait outside. I'm calling the police." Kon pulled both Kisa and I until we were outside of the house. The fresh air hit me hard, feeling a lot better than the dry decaying smell of that kitchen. My stomach had just continued to get worse and worse. I pulled away from Kon and held my stomach as Ichigo pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed a short number. He looked over at me before approaching me.

"Are you okay, Rukia?" He laid his hand on my shoulder but I pulled away and turned to the closest bush. I couldn't control my stomach anymore and started vomiting violently. I heard Ichigo say hello but he quickly dismissed himself to check on me. He held back my hair and tried to comfort me. I waved him off and he continued on the phone.

"I wanted to report a suicide. Mmhm...yes, she looks like she's been dead for a few hours at least." He glanced over at me and laid his hand on my back as I stood. I wiped my mouth with the back of my hand as I gained control of my stomach. "Okay," he said as he turned towards Kisa. His hand went over the phone as he asked and repeated Kisa's address. "I also wanted to report-"

"No!" I turned to see Kisa, pulling at Ichigo's other arm. She didn't want her father reported to the police. Ichigo looked down at her sympathetically but continued on the phone.

"Yes, I wanted to report domestic violence. My friends father, who's drunk, attacked another friend. Yes...Yup, same address. A police officer will be here? Okay, thank you very much, we'll be waiting outside." He hung up and turned back to Kisa who was nervously tugging the ends of her hair. "Look, I'm really sorry but I'm not letting him get away with attacking Kon like that, he gets enough of that shit at home." Kisa looked up at Kon, a strange look on her face like she didn't know about Kon's family.

We all waited outside while Kisa's father stayed inside, never leaving the kitchen. I don't know how he could stand to stay inside that room. There wasn't any major odors because the woman had to have killed herself in the last few hours but it did have a smell. It was like the smell of a sick person but ten times worse. The scent made me think of rotted eggs and spoiling meat. Once the police and the ambulance got there the EMT's started checking out Kon's nose and forehead. Aparently the man had thrown a glass beer bottle at his head, which caused him to bleed the first time. One of the EMT's noticed some of Kisa's bruises and started asking a few questions.

"Sweety, what happened to you?" Kisa wouldn't make eye contact and stared ahead, not willing to answer. "Who gave you all those bruises?" She glared over at Ichigo, trying to ignore the woman in front of her. The EMT persisted and asked if she needed to be looked at by a doctor.

"No, leave me alone!" The woman frowned down at her and patted her shoulder. Ichigo and I watched from the side of the house, leaning against the porch railing. He sighed and rubbed his forehead.

"I didn't mean to make her so uncomfortable or mad but she can't just stick up for that asshole anymore." I nodded as I continued to watch her.

"I know but her sitaution needs to be taken care of." He nodded his head in agreement and glanced down at me.

"Are you okay? Does your stomach feel any better?"

"Yeah, thanks but I feel a lot better." I shook my head and glanced back in the house. "I just hate seeing dead people, there's something about it that freaks me out." Ichigo rested his hand on my head before he pulled me closer.

"You should've stayed where you were." I laughed and shrugged.

"I was worried about Kisa." Ichigo slid his arm around my shoulders, surprising me but not bothering me. A police officer approached us and addressed Ichigo.

"Can I get a report from you, young man?" He nodded and stood, no longer resting against the porch railing. The officer looked down at me before he continued. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave, why don't you go talk to your friend over there?" I nodded and headed towards Kisa, giving them privacy. When I reached her, I noticed she was still glaring.

"Hey Kisa, are you alright?" She nodded, her expression softening.

"I'm sorry you had to be here and I'm sorry about Kon." She sighed and rested against my car. "This is all my fault..."

"No it's not, don't say that. I know you're scared about what's going to happen but if your dad is like this...you need to tell someone. If you're worried about a temporary foster home or anything like that, I'll tell my brother and you can stay with us." She looked up at me, her eyebrows turned down. "I'm serious, we have plenty of room and I don't want you to have to live like this."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? This isn't-"

"No, why would you do that for me? You don't know me." Her voice was a lot quieter now and her tone made her sound like she didn't believe me.

"I still care about you enough to get you out of here." She didn't respond, didn't even nod her head. "Look, I'm talking about something that might not happen for a while but if you don't feel safe here, you can come stay at my house tonight."

"...Thank you." I nodded and sat on my car next to her as Ichigo approached us, his gaze was on Kisa.

"Hey, I told the police about your dad hitting Kon and pushing you but I didn't say anything else." She looked up at him and nodded before turning her eyes away. "Kon's nose is broken but he seems to be okay. They're going to take him to my dad's clinic because he lives so close."

"What about his forehead?" I asked, looking up at him.

"It's fine, a minor cut. He doesn't need stitches or anything." My attention shifted back to the front door where Kisa's father was being dragged out in handcuffs. He was glaring right at his daughter and started yelling.

"You stupid bitch! I'll kill you for this! It's all your fault that your mother's dead!" He was shoved into the police car and when I turned back to see Kisa's reaction, I saw her neutral face. He was driven away and the police dismissed us but got all of our contact information in case something came up.

We decided that we would all head over to Ichigo's to be with Kon because he was taken away in the ambulance. Before we left Kisa packed a bag with clothes in it for a few days and other things she would need. After Kon was taken care of by Isshin, I was going to take Kisa home to stay. We were all set to leave and started getting in our vehicles when I heard someone yell my name. I looked down the street to see Michiru, Hisagi, and Renji walking down the sidewalk. I told Kisa I would only talk a minute and turned the air conditioner on for her. I walked over to them and waved.

"Hey guys." Renji reached out and ruffled up my hair.

"Hey shortie!" I smiled and rolled my eyes. Michiru shoved him out of her way.

"What happened? Why were the police here? Isn't this Kisa's house?"

"Kisa's dad attacked Kon and we found her mom dead in the kitchen."

"...Are you fucking serious?" Renji's expression was now concerned.

"Yeah, the woman killed herself."

"That's terrible! Is everyone okay?" Michiru looked so worried.

"Yes, Kon's nose is broken but they're taking him to the Kurosaki Clinic." She nodded and grabbed Hisagi's hand.

"Can we ride with you?" I shrugged and looked back at the car. Ichigo was already gone.

"Sure, but it might be a little cramped in the back."

"Okay." We all headed back to my car and got in, the other three squeezing in the back. As I glanced in the rearview mirror I saw Michiru turn to Hisagi. "Text your mom and let her know where we're going okay?"

"Why?"

"Because we told her we were going on a walk, we can't just disappear." She sounded frustrated but Hisagi simply agreed and pulled out his phone. I turned out of the driveway and headed in the direction of Ichigo's house. "How are you feeling Kisa?" Kisa glanced back at the mention of her name but simply shrugged. "I'm really sorry for your loss." I almost sighed; I hated those words.

"Don't worry about that, I wasn't close to my mother, at all." Michiru seemed sort of surprised.

"Oh...okay. You're not physically hurt are you?"

"No, but thank you for your concern."

"Of course." The rest of the ride was silent aside from the sound of Hisagi texting his mother. I pulled in Ichigo's drive way behind his truck and parked. We quickly got our of the car and approached the front door. Renji walked in first without knocking and led us to the clinic. Once we reached our destination I saw Kon holding a hand over his nose. He smiled up at us when he saw us come in.

"Hey guys." Renji walked up to him and roughly smacked his back.

"Hey Kon, how's your nose?"

"Eh, it feels better."

"You've been getting into a lot of trouble lately? You must really like this girl, huh?" Kon nodded and shrugged.

"Yup." Kisa walked up to Kon and asked him if he was okay. Ichigo and his father joined us as Kon and Kisa talked. Isshin looked down at Kisa, his eyes on one of her bruises. He grabbed her arm and started examining the mark. She cringed away and backed into Renji. Isshin stared down at her, looking confused and concerned.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" She didn't answer and kept her eyes down. Kon grabbed her hand and tugged. Isshin smiled and turned back to Kon. "I don't think I need to bandage your nose, it's not too bad. Does it feel any better?"

"Yeah, thanks Isshin."

"No problem." He ruffled up Kon's hair and looked over at Renji. "What are you guys doing here? It's been a while."

"We came over to see the trouble-maker." Renji reached over and punched Kon's arm playfully.

"Where's Mina?" He shrugged at Isshin's question looking indifferent. "You two are still together aren't you?"

"Nope." Isshin laughed and shook his head.

"Why aren't you?"

"Because she's a bitch." Ichigo rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pockets before leaning against the table next to Kon. "But that reminds me, you know that Mahana chic?" His attention was now on Ichigo and Hisagi. They nodded as I tried to figure out who he was talking about. The name sounded really familiar. "We hooked up after school today." Michiru put her hands on her hips.

"Renji! You just broke up with Mina and you had sex with some random girl? What's wrong with you?" He looked down at her and brushed her off.

"Was I talking to you?" Hisagi shook his head and scratched the back of his head. "You guys have no comments at all?"

"You're an idiot!" He sighed.

"Not you Michiru, I'm sure you have plenty to say, when don't you?"

"You've been dating Mina for like a year and a half. How do you think she's going to feel knowing that you got over her in less than 24 hours?" He folded his arms.

"I'm not over her."

"Then why would you do something so stupid?"

"Oh my God, it's not a big deal, calm down." Michiru also folded her arms, looking up at him angrily.

"I'm telling Mina."

"What? No you're not, stay out of it."

"Watch me." She pulled out her phone and Renji quickly snatched it away. He pocketed the device. She smiled up at him and rolled her eyes. "See you know you did something wrong." Ichigo stood and glanced towards the door.

"Are you guys staying because we should go talk to Kon's parents." Hisagi stretched and shrugged.

"It's up to Rukia, she's the one who brought us here." I blinked, unsure of what they wanted.

"I don't care, we can stay if you guys want. Kisa probably doesn't want to leave so soon anyway." Ichigo nodded and grabbed Kon's arm, pulling him up.

"Come on, let's go get it over with." Michiru shoved Hisagi closer to the door.

"You guys go with them, we'll make some tea." Ichigo nodded and led Kon out the door with Hisagi and Renji following behind them. Michiru, Kisa and I headed towards the kitchen as Isshin started putting his medical tools away. Michiru put a kettle of water on the stove and started getting mugs out. She handed me a box of teabags and I began distributing them, sitting one in each cup. We all sat at the table as the water heated. Michiru turned towards Kisa, who was anxiously messing with her hair.

"So what's going on between you and Kon?" Kisa looked up at her and blinked.

"What?" Her voice was hushed.

"Are you guys together or are you just friends?" Michiru smiled as Kisa shrugged.

"I don't know..." I laughed quietly and Michiru quickly joined me.

"Do you like Kon?" She nodded and glanced over at the kettle. "You know Kon likes you, right? It's really obvious." Michiru's smile widened and Kisa shrugged. "He does, believe me. Isn't it obvious, Rukia?"

"Extremely obvious." Kisa glanced over at me but quickly turned away.

"Hasn't Kon asked you on a date yet?" She shook her head in response to Michiru's question. "Well I'm sure he will, he better." The kettle started whistling, it's high pitch noise squealing over our conversation. Michiru stood and grabbed the handle and started pouring water in each mug. Just as she started bringing the glasses over to the table the guys walked in through the front door. They joined us around the table and most started drinking immediately. Ichigo sat next to me and scooted his chair closer to the table.

"How'd it go at Kon's house?" Michiru looked up at Ichigo as she sat between Renji and Hisagi.

"Okay, I guess. They didn't seem too concerned but they're letting him stay here for a few nights."

"That's good, I'm glad." She glanced over at Kon and patted his hand. "I can't wait until you're old enough to get out of there." Kon smiled at her and nodded.

"Me too." I took a sip of my tea as Michiru and Renji turned their attention towards me.

"So how are things going with you two?" I blinked, confused. Their eyes slid over to my right and I looked over at Ichigo. I sighed and rested my head in my hand.

"I dunno about Rukia, but I'm fine" Ichigo smiled and leaned back in his chair. Michiru smiled and rolled her eyes.

"That's not exactly what I meant." Ichigo shrugged and took a drink of his tea. He had dodged the subject of our date this weekend and I was extremely thankful.

We sat around the table and talked for about an hour but Kon started getting tired from the painkillers he was given and Ichigo gave us the boot. He led Kon to the couch and told us to give him some space. With that, we all headed for the door and slid our shoes on. We waved goodbye and headed for the car. I quickly headed for Hisagi's house and we drove in silence. I glanced in the rear view mirror and saw Michiru rest her head on Hisagi's shoulder before closing her eyes. It only took about five minutes before they were piling out of my car. I pulled out of the drive way and headed home as Kisa rested against window and stared off.

Once we reached the house, Kisa seemed to freeze up. She sat there even after I had gotten out of the car. I looked down at her from outside of the car and gestured for her to follow. Still she hesitated but soon got out, carrying her small bag of clothes. I smiled and nudged her towards the door. After entering and slipping our shoes off, I led Kisa towards the kitchen. Byuakuya turned from the sink and smiled at us.

"Where have you been, Rukia?"

"I was going to hang out with Kon and Kisa at Ichigo's but um...there was some trouble at Kisa's house." My brother's eyebrows turned down. "We had to stop at Kisa's and ask her parents if it was okay for her to hang out after school and there were some issues between Kon and Kisa's dad." 'Yuakuya nodded and wiped his hands on a towel. "And...we found Kisa's mother dead in the kitchen..." Byu's eyes widened and he took a few steps closer to us. He looked over at Kisa, frowning.

"I'm so sorry." She shook her head, looking at her feet. I took another step closer to my brother so he wouldn't approach her.

"Her father was arrested for violence so I told Kisa she could stay here. That's okay, right?"

"Of course, that's fine with me." His attention went back to Kisa. "Is there anything you'd like for dinner?" I took it upon myself to answer due to Kisa's silence.

"I think anything will be fine. I'm going to take her to the guestroom, we'll be down in a little while." He nodded and ruffled up my hair. I led Kisa towards the stairs; we continued until we reached the guestroom closests to my room. "Will you be okay in here? If you're uncomfortable sleeping by yourself you can stay in my room. I know staying with a stranger can be sort of awkward."

"Um...I think I'll be okay." She looked around and carefully sat her stuff on a nearby chair. "Your brother won't...come in here will he?" My eyebrows turned down, concerned.

"What? No, of course not. Are...are you scared of him?" She slowly nodded and started messing with her hair.

"Sorry..."

"No, don't be sorry, you can't help the way you feel." I looked at her face, seeing the little fear she allowed herself to show, and felt so bad for her. "Look, I know he's sort of huge but he won't come near you. He's really sensitive to uh..."

"What?"

"I don't want you to get offended." She shook her head, gesturing for me to continue. "He's sensitive to...abuse."

"...He was abused?" I shook my head.

"No, my sister was in foster care and she dealt with some intense stuff so Byuakuya understands some of what you're going through." She nodded and continued to run her fingers through her hair. "I promise though, he won't come near your room."

"Okay."

"Well, I'm going to go get changed and head downstairs. I'll leave you to get dressed and then we can decide what we want for dinner." She nodded and I headed for my own room. After quickly changing I headed downstairs and approached my brother.

"Hey, Byu." He turned to me from the table and grinned.

"Hey, is she okay?"

"Yeah, I think so. I just wanted to warn you that...she's sort of scared of you." He blinked a few times, his face giving away his confusion.

"Why?"

"She acted like she was...sexually abused or something. I don't know, she won't tell any of us anything but she asked if you were going to stay out of her room." He frowned and glanced towards the stairs. I did the same, making sure she wasn't down yet.

"I'm sorry, I feel really bad now." I shook my head.

"It's not your fault, just give her a lot of distance."

"Okay. How did her mother die?" I sat at the table next to him and pulled my legs into Indian style.

"She hanged herself."

"Oh...wow. How is Kisa taking it?"

"She said she wasn't close with her mom. I honestly don't think it made much of an impact on her." He watched me intently as I spoke.

"Do you feel okay?" I furrowed my brow.

"Yeah?"

"I just noticed how pale you look. Are you sick?"

"No, I was just nauseous earlier. I'm fine now, though." As I finished speaking, Kisa timidly walked into the kitchen. Without another word Byuakuya stood and started dinner. I also stood and followed Kisa into the living room. We spent the rest of the night with a lot of large spans of silence. Kisa hardly spoke a word and 99% of the time she did speak it was because someone had asked her something. Dinner was miserable; Kisa sat stiffly on the opposite side of the table as Byuakuya and stared at the table as she moved her food around her plate. After dinner she asked if she could go to her room and she stayed there for at least an hour or two. I didn't want to invade her privacy but I felt bad for just leaving her alone. I spent that time with Byuakuya, talking and watching a movie. It was only around seven-thirty once the movie was over but I felt exhausted due to the stress of the day and headed off to bed.

Before going to my room I knocked on the door of the guestroom and checked up on Kisa. She was lying under the blankets with her phone propped up to her ear. Her eyes were closed and she was quietly airsnoring. I smiled and carefully approached. I grabbed the phone, held it up to my ear and ended the call as soon I was sure no one was on the other line. After sitting the cell phone next to her on the bed, I turned and headed out of the room and flipped the lights off.

I headed for my room and quickly slid into bed. My lights were off but there was still some light shining through the windows. I was sure I wouldn't be able to sleep due to the sunshine but as soon as my head hit the pillow, that earlier exhaustion hit me again. It was impossible to keep my eyes open and soon I was drifting off into unconciousness.

-:-

**Okay, this chapter was supposed to have a lot more IchiRuki stuff in it but it got really lengthy and I'm super exhausted! A lot of family stuff came up lately and I've been super busy! I'll update again as soon as I can but for now I hope you enjoyed! Please review! ;)**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay I'm back again, I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter. I know it was sort of a filler and I'm sorry. I tried to fit the Kisa ordeal in the end of chapter 7 but that was already super lengthy. This chapter should be way more Ichiruki so please R&R! Enjoy!**

-:-

_I curled up under my blankets as Hisana sat on the end of my bed. She had just told me about the car accident our parents were in and though I was only a seven year old, I was still aware of all the stress on her features. She had been at the hospital while Byuakuya babysat me. The memory of that night was a lot more detailed in my dreams than I could ever willingly imagine it. Hisana covered me with my blankets and patted my leg._

_"How do you feel?" I blinked, a little unsure of what she meant._

_"I'm fine, why?"_

_"Rukia, Mom and Dad just died. That doesn't make you upset?" I shrugged and rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand. _

_"Mommy and Daddy were never here, it won't be much different." _

_"...I have to ask you something, okay?" I nodded and she glanced towards the door before continuing. "Mommy was still...alive but she wasn't able to breath without a machine so..."_

_"So what?"_

_"I told the doctors to shut off the machine."_

_"Why?"_

_"Because there's no point for her to lie there in pain. It was just...the right thing to do."_

_"Oh." She twisted my blanket in her hand nervously._

_"Are you angry with me?" Again I was confused, my eyebrows turned down. Byuakuya approached my room, standing under the door frame._

_"No, why would I be?"_

_"Because I'm the one responsible for Mom." I shrugged it off, I was always pretty disconnected from my parents and barely affected by their deaths. "Do you agree with the choice I made?" My eyes blinked a few times and I had to fight the urge to shrug again; Hisana hated it when I did that. "Do you believe it was the right thing to do?" _

_As soon as the words came out of Hisana's mouth, my dream shifted to a different memory. I simply blinked and my lids slid open I was sitting in the Hisana's empty hospital room. She was already taken to the morgue and all her belongings were removed. Byuakuya looked down at me with a frown on his face and held his hand out to me._

_"What do you believe Rukia? Just tell me what-"_

I sat up, jumping awake from the dream and rubbed my eyes. My mind went back to that night when Hisana told me about our parents. Again I could only remember chunks of the dream but I could remember when she told me about foster care. I remember crying and hugging onto her the entire night. I remembered being taken by a Child Protective Services worker the next day and being shipped off into some strangers house.

There was a knock on my door and I turned as it opened, my memories now fading from the surface of my mind. When the door opened Byuakuya looked down at me.

"Good morning, it's time to wake up. You should wake up your friend." I nodded and rubbed my eyes again. "You okay? You look like you've been sweating."

"Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded as I stood and got ready for another day.

The next few days flew by, nothing noteworthy really occured and honestly my mind was mostly on my date on Friday. I still hadn't told Byuakuya about that and I had a feeling he was going to be less friendly towards Ichigo once he found out. Through out the week I continued to ask Ichigo what we were doing but he wouldn't tell me anything. He would just smile and shrug, not telling me anything. We still hadn't told any of our friends that we were going on a date but on Friday during lunch Michiru asked everyone to make plans. When she looked at Ichigo he scratched the back of his neck and refused the urge to glance down at me.

"Uh...I sort of have plans tonight but I can on Saturday." Her eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"You have plans? What are you doing?" He smiled and leaned back on his hands.

"I...have plans." She narrowed her eyes and grinned.

"What plans?" Instead of answering he simply shook his head. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Whatever." I tried to think of an excuse as her eyes met mine. "What about you Rukia? You can come can't you?"

"Actually, some of my family are visiting tonight." She nodded slightly and brushed her hair behind her ear.

"What about tomorrow?"

"I'm free, I can come over."

"Okay, I think we're going to Hisagi's tonight for dinner but we'll probably sleep at my house." I nodded. "Just come over whenever you want."

"Okay."

The rest of the school day rushed by, just like the week had. Before I knew it, the bell was ringing dismissing students for the weekend. Everyone who was going over to Hisagi's met up in the back of the room. Ichigo and I waved goodbye to everyone and walked out to the parking lot together. I glanced up at him and elbowed him.

"Are you going to tell me what we're doing yet?" He glanced down at me and shook his head. I sighed and rolled my eyes. "How am I supposed to know what to wear?" Ichigo laughed.

"Wear whatever you want."

"So our date will be sweats appropriate?" I narrowed my eyes and smiled up at him.

"I guess."

"Will we be in public?" He furrowed his brow.

"Yeah, why?" 

"Then it's _not_ sweats appropriate. You don't know anything, do you?" We laughed as I approached my car. "What time?"

"I'll pick you up around seven." I nodded and opened my door. After sliding behind the wheel I looked up at Ichigo again.

"Okay, I'll see you then." He smiled and leaned in the window after I pulled the door shut.

"See ya, and if you must know, dress casually."

"I'd rather know what we're doing." He sighed like he was finally giving in. I raised my eyebrows.

"Too bad." I glared at him and started rolling up my window. He laughed and waved goodbye. I sat in the car and waited for Kisa to make it to the car. This had become a regular thing, both Ichigo and I usually waited for Kon and Kisa to say goodbye and get ready to leave. After waiting for a few minutes I turned on the car and flipped on the air conditioning. My phone went off in my bag and I quickly dug through it unitl I grabbed the phone. I flipped open the cell phone and a message from Kisa came onto the screen.

**Kon and I are getting a ride from Michiru, I'm sorry for making you wait.**

I glanced over at Ichigo's truck and saw him staring down at his phone. He had probably recieved a similar message from Kon.

**It's fine. I can take you home to get clothes and drop you off, I don't mind.**

After sending the message I glanced up at Ichigo again and saw him toss his phone aside. He looked up at me as he was driving off and smiled. My phone went off again and I turned my attention to it.

**I wouldn't want to cause any inconvenience.**

I smiled at her politeness and replied right away.

**It's not a problem, I'll be waiting out here.**

Again I sat in the car and waited for Kisa to come out. I also listened for my phone to go off, I almost expected her to text back but she didn't. She came back to the car a few minutes later and quickly got in the car. She looked down at her hands and didn't say anything.

"Are you okay, Kisa?" She hesitantly looked up at me.

"I'm sorry you had to wait so long..."

"I already told you it's no big deal. I don't mind so don't worry about it." Kisa nodded and turned her gaze to the windshield as I shifted into drive and headed out of the nearly empty parking lot.

"You're not going to miss your family's visit are you?" Her voice was quiet and at first I was a little confused.

"What do you mean?"

"You said your family was coming over." I nodded as realization hit me.

"Oh, well..."

"What?" I smiled and glanced at her.

"I sort of lied about that...I have plans and they're kind of private."

"You have plans? With Ichigo?" I looked over at her, my eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"How did you know that?"

"You both have plans tonight that you wouldn't talk about, now that I know you were lying, it's sort of obvious." A small smile formed on her face and I laughed at her logic.

"Please don't tell anyone, not even Kon. He doesn't know how to keep his mouth shut." She laughed quietly and nodded.

"Okay, I won't."

"Thanks." I turned into our neighborhood and quickly made my way to the house. "Has he asked you out yet?" I put the car in park and turned it off. We both climbed out of the car and headed towards the house. She didn't answer unitl we reached the door.

"No." I sighed and shook my head.

"I don't understand him, it's so obvious that he likes you a lot. You two are a lot closer than Ichigo and I **and** you have kissed. I don't understand why he hasn't asked you out yet." She glanced up at me and smiled slightly.

"You and Ichigo have kissed too." I sighed.

"I told you Kon couldn't keep his mouth shut." Her smile widened as we entered the house. Byuakuya was going through the mail and standing in the living room when we walked in. "You're here before us? Why?" He grinned at us and tossed the papers on the coffee table.

"My boss told me to go home early today and take tomorrow off so..." His sentence trailed off as he shrugged.

"Why?" His smiled widened as he answered.

"I sort of fell asleep at my desk today...twice." I laughed and rubbed my forehead.

"Byuakuya if you were so tired why did you go to work in the first place?"

"I can't just skip work, Rukia. We aren't doing so great since we lost your sister's income and all of our savings were spent."

"Missing one day of work won't hurt us. Besides because you didn't make the responsible choice here, you have to miss a whole day and at least four hours."

"Yeah, yeah, I know." He shrugged off the topic and leaned back against the wall. "What took you guys so long?"

"We were just figuring out our plans with our friends. I'm going to take Kisa over to Hisagi's. They're having a get together." His brow furrowed.

"Aren't you going?"

"Actually...I have different plans." My hands started sweating as I started feeling nervous about telling my brother.

"What are you doing?"

"I...sort of have a date tonight..." My voice had lowered and Byuakuya's eyebrows rose, showing his surprise. He was also revealing his disdain on his face.

"Oh really? Did I approve of this, Rukia?" He smiled slightly, trying his best to be calm about it. I laughed and shook my head.

"No and last time I checked you weren't my mother so I think I can make this decision on my own." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Who do you have a date with?"

"...Ichigo..." His smile widened slightly as he quickly glanced at Kisa.

"What happened to being 'just friends'?"

"It's really for his sake, if that makes you feel better." I grinned up at him as I smoothed out the skirt of my uniform absently.

"Well, whether I'm your mother or not, I'm setting up some ground rules when he picks you up."

"Okay, I'll give you that. I know you always like to have some sort of power over my life." He rolled his eyes and shook his head again.

Kisa and I headed upstairs and I sat on her bed as she packed a bag. She took her time, moving around the room slowly, almost sluggishly. That was one thing about Kisa, she never seemed to be in a hurry. With Kon or Ichigo, they were always speed walking to their destinations or driving 5 miles over the speed limit. They constantly had to hurry but Kisa took her sweet time. It made me feel a lot more comfortable around her.

"Will you be okay at Hisagi's if Kon's not there? I can stay for a few minutes so you're not left alone with them." She stopped and turned towards me, not feeling the need to multi-task. I smiled at the thought.

"Um, no I think I'll be okay."

"Okay but only if you're sure. If you change your mind at any time, let me know." She nodded and started looking around the room again. "Are you starting to feel more relaxed here?" Again she turned her attention towards me and nodded her head.

"Yes. Thank you for helping me."

"Don't worry about it, I'm glad you got out of that house. Do you know what happened with your dad?"

"He was released the next day but I don't think he notices that I'm gone." She looked over at her dresser and randomly grabbed her hair brush before throwing it in her bag.

"Does that bother you?"

"No, I'm glad." She paused before meeting my eyes again. "You're not mad that I'm still staying here are you?"

"No, I want you to stay here as long as you can. I like having you here, it's like having a sister."

"It is?" I smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, it's nice to have another girl in the house again. Though, you're a lot quieter than my sister was and you're way less messy. Hisana was a slob." She simply nodded and started messing with the ends of her hair.

"I'm sorry about your sister..."

"Thanks but honestly you do make me feel better. I never realized how much of my sadness was from missing the companionship of a sister. We always did stuff together and now I get to see you all the time. It feels the same." She blinked a few times, staring off but I could tell she was listening. "I'm sorry, did I make you uncomfortable?" Kisa shook her head and looked back at me.

"No, it's just..."

"What?"

"Well, your sister obviously meant a lot to you and I'm sorry I have to be here instead of her." I frowned at her.

"Don't say that, Kisa. You're right that Hisana meant a lot to me but you mean a lot to me too." Her expression shifted, she looked surprised by my words and her reaction made me a little sad. It's like she's never heard that before. "Do you have any siblings?"

"Yes, I have a brother who's in college and I had a younger brother." I didn't know if I could ask her about her brother's death and I didn't want to make her emotional so I found myself repeating her earlier words to me.

"I'm sorry about your brother."

"It's okay...it was a few years ago and I've-" She was cut off by the loud ringing of her phone. I figured it was Kon calling but part of me worried that it was her father. She held up her finger and flipped open her phone.

"Hello?" Her voice had gone flat and my nerves started to build up. By the sound of her tone, it had to be her father on the phone. "Mmhm...I'm fine." I felt sort of bad just sitting here, listening to her end of the conversation but she didn't seem to mind. She sat on the bed next to me and kicked her shoes off. "It's going to be next Thursday...uh..." Her eyes flashed to my face before she glanced away. "I'm not staying at home right now." I heard a man's voice on the other end ask her why before continuing with other questions. "Yeah, it's related to that. I'm not sure, I would have to ask...okay, hold on." She pulled her phone away from her ear and covered it. "It's my brother, he's coming to stay a few nights in town so he can come to our mother's funeral and he wanted me to ask if he could stay here with me." I blinked as my nerves calmed.

"I'd have to make sure with Byuakuya but I'm sure he wouldn't mind. We have another guest room. Do you need me to ask my brother?" After hesitating she nodded and I stood. "Okay, I'll be right back." I smiled and headed towards my brother's office. I knocked and walked in before he had time to answer. He looked up at me from his work.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Kisa's brother just called and said that he's coming here for their mom's funeral. He wanted to stay here, is it all right if he stays in our other guest room?" He blinked and rubbed his forehead before answering.

"I suppose."

"You don't have to say yes if it bothers you. I just don't think he wants any contact with his dad."

"No, it's fine. He can stay, I'm sure it'll be good for Kisa to see him anyway." I smiled and nodded.

"Thanks, I'll go let her know." I turned around and walked back to Kisa's room. Once there I took my spot back on the bed. I didn't want to interrupt the conversation so I simply nodded once I had Kisa's attention. 

"They said you can stay...I'm not sure. Okay, I'll see you then, bye." She flipped her phone shut and glanced up at me. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to ask you."

"It's fine, my brother understands. When is he coming?"

"He said he'll be here in a few days, probably Sunday." I nodded and she stood, getting back to her packing. After a few minutes she was ready and we headed out the door. We drove in silence for the most part but it was way more comfortable than usual. She was warming up to me and I was glad. It really was nice having her around so much.

-:-

It took me about twenty minutes to drop Kisa off and make my way back home. When I got back to the house it was only 5:30 and I had an hour and half before Ichigo was coming over and I had nothing to do! I tallked with Byuakuya for a while, avoiding the subject of Ichigo. We sat at the table and had some tea but the tea made him tired and I made Byu take a nap. Once he was sleeping, I realized that once again I had nothing to keep me occupied. Eventually I got a book out and read for almost an hour before I decided to take a shower and get ready.

After showering I got changed into a casual dress that was made out of yellow fabric. The material was really light, making the dress more comfortable than pajamas. I slid on a pair of sandals that had an intricate black design resting on the tops of my feet. I simply brushed my hair and pinned back my bangs, not wanting to deal with them. My hair dried in it's usual manor quickly and by that time I still had twenty minutes left. I sat down at the table and stared off for a few minutes until I heard feet shuffling on the floor. Byuakuya, now dressed in sweats and a long sleeve shirt, joined me at the table. He looked tired but better rested than earlier.

"Why are you up? It's only been like an hour? You should sleep more." He shook his head and rubbed his eyes.

"I'll go back to sleep after I've talked with Ichigo." I sighed and rested my head in my palm. My elbow laid on the table, supporting the weight of my head.

"Are you going to try to scare him or something?" Byu laughed and shrugged.

"Should I?" I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"No, you should just tell us your rules and let us leave."

"Where are you guys going anyway?" I shrugged and glanced down at his old faded shirt. He was wearing the Chappy shirt Hisana and I had gotten him for his birthday two years ago. My smile widened as my attention went back to my brother. "You don't know?" 

"He won't tell me, he said he wants it to be a secret." Byuakuya shook his head and sat up straighter in his chair.

"I'm not letting you go if he won't tell me." I nodded.

"I figured, it's okay though. I want to know too." There was a loud knock on the door and 'Yuakuya stood quickly, reaching the door before I could get out of my seat. I sighed and approached the door. I smiled up at Ichigo who had been practically dragged inside my house. He was wearing dark tight fitting jeans and a solid black Tshirt. Byuakuya didn't even greet Ichigo, he automatically started with questions.

"Where are you taking Rukia tonight?" Ichigo looked over at me and gestured for me to go away. I placed my hands on my hips but he persisted so I rolled my eyes and went back to the kitchen. They stayed in the living room talking longer than I expected and that only peaked my curiosity more. After almost five minutes of chatting they both came into the kitchen, Ichigo was smiling.

"Come on, let's go."

"What? You're seriously not going to tell me?" Byuakuya shook his head and answered for Ichigo.

"He told me and it's fine."

"It's not fine, I wanna know!" Ichigo grinned and shrugged. I folded my arms as Byuakuya started stating our rules.

"Okay, your curfew is midnight and keep your phone on." I gave him a moment to continue but he didn't.

"That's all? You were making such a big deal out of this earlier."

"I already talked to Ichigo so yeah, that is all." He smiled and nudged me towards the exit. Again I rolled my eyes and followed Ichigo out the door. When we reached his truck, he held open the door and held out his hand. I smiled and pulled myself into his truck without his help and shut the door. He gave me a funny look as he walked around the front of the vehicle. He got in and started it before pulling out of the drive way.

"Are you going to tell me yet?" I had to talk loudly to be heard over the noisy truck.

"Nope." He smiled as he drove down the road.

"Come on, we're on the date. Just tell me, Ichigo." He shook his head and glanced over at me.

"You'll know soon enough."

"I hate you right now. I despise surprises, Ichigo." His eyes stayed on the road and he continued to grin but he didn't respond. I folded my arms and stared out the window trying to figure out the direction we were heading. After giving up on that hopeless thought, I turned my attention back to him. "Hey, do you have a middle name?" His eyebrows furrowed, a puzzled expression on his face.

"No, why?"

"Because, I need something more than just Ichigo."

"What do you mean?" I smiled and turned towards him.

"When I get mad at you, I need more of a name than Ichigo. It's not long enough or serious enough. It would help if you had a middle name." He laughed as he turned onto a bigger and busier street.

"I have a last name, Rukia." I shook my head.

"Ichigo Kurosaki is way too long and if you're going to make me mad as much as you already do, I'm going to have to give you a middle name." His smile widened and he shook his head.

"Please don't." I laughed, acting defensive.

"Uh, well now I'm definitely doing it!" I started thinking immediately, my focus on a name that would not only suite me but embarrass him. "Hm...How about Ichigo Kai?" I laughed and shook my head. "No, doesn't sound right."

"If I tell you where we're going will you please not do this to me?" He smiled over at me as I nodded enthusiastically. Ichigo pointed towards a large metal entrance as we pulled into the Karakura cemetary. I blinked, slightly confused and a little nervous.

"Hey, that's so not fair. You didn't tell me, we just showed up." I turned back on him to hide my nerves. He laughed and parked in a spot walking distance from Hisana.

"We never made any rules or regulations, it was on oral agreement so stop with the middle name crap." I rolled my eyes, still managing a smile on my face.

"Why are we here? Isn't this sort of depressing for a first date?"

"Just stay here for a second." Ichigo slid out of the truck and walked around to my door. He opened it and grabbed my wrist, not giving me a choice this time. I smiled as he forcefully helped me out of the tall vehicle. Instead of heading towards Hisana, we walked further down the row of people. Ichigo still had a loose grip on my wrist and slid his hand down until it was holding onto mine. I jokingly pulled away and arched my neck to look up at him.

"Watch it, grabby." He blinked and I laughed at his expression. "I'm kidding, don't have a panic attack up there." He narrowed his eyes and smiled down at me. I grabbed his hand lightly and turned back to see our destination. We were heading towards the grave Ichigo and his father had been at that day we met up in the cemetary. We stopped in front of the tombstone and I immediately looked at the dates, trying to figure out how old she was when she died. She was in her late twenties. Then I figured out how old Ichigo was when she died. Nine. I looked up at him, not sure what we were doing. His eyes were on the stone as he began to talk.

"Hey Mom, I brought someone here to meet you." I blinked, surprised at how direct he was speaking. I felt my grip tighten around his instinctively. "Mom this is Rukia Kuchiki, Rukia, this is my mother Masaki Kurosaki." I froze, realizing that I was supposed to say something.

"Uh...hi?" Ichigo laughed and looked down at me.

"What's wrong?" I felt bad for acting so uncomfortable, it was really disrespectful to both Ichigo and his mom.

"Sorry, I just...I've never really talked to..."

"To dead people?" I nodded and felt guilt spread on my face. "It's okay Rukia, I figured as much the first time you met my dad. Don't worry about it, just talk like you would any other time."

"What am I supposed to say?" He laughed and tugged my hand, pulling me closer to the tombstone. He sat on the ground and I followed his lead, tucking my dress under my legs carefully.

"I'm not going to make you talk to her if you don't want to, I just thought you'd want to meet her. I wanted you to." I nodded and turned back to the stone, reading the information again. After taking it all in, almost memorizing it, I looked back at Ichigo.

"How did she die?"

"We were taking a walk one night and it started raining. When we were crossing the street a car slid all over the road and she didn't get out of the way in time." My eyes widened as he spoke.

"Did you see it?" He shook his head and glanced back at Masaki's memorial.

"No, I turned to see where she was but it had already happened."

"I'm sorry." His eyebrows turned down in confusion. "I should've asked about your mom a long time ago."

"Don't be sorry, you probably have plenty on your mind." Ichigo turned to his mother and rested his hand on my back. "Rukia's sister died a little over a month ago." The words sounded so stale as he spoke. Those words had been repeated in a variety of ways over and over again for the last month and they hung in the air around us as they came out of his mouth. I had to blink back tears, unsure of why that made me upset. Ichigo didn't seem to notice and he continued to explain a little of my background to his mom. I couldn't believe it had only been a month. The time I've lived without Hisana felt monumentally long and in my memory the time felt empty even though I know it wasn't. I had improved in a lot of ways and I was surprised at how well I had managed time for friends. Maybe that's what made me upset, I was still living while she was burried in the ground and I put on an act like I was okay with that.

"Rukia?" I blinked and refocused, meeting Ichigo's eyes.

"Hm?"

"Are you alright?" I forced those thoughts away and swallowed those emotions. A smile formed on my mouth and I nodded.

"Yeah, sorry."

"If you want we can go see Hisana now." Something in my chest tightened and I shook my head.

"I don't...I don't want to." His expression shifted and I could tell he was concerned.

"Why not?"

"I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Oh...do you care if I go see her for a minute?" Again I shook my head and he stood before quickly walking over to Hisana's tombstone. He didn't even ask where it was and didn't hesitate, he knew where she was. I watched as he started talking to the rock. His words were inaudiable but he was probably introducing himself or greeting her. I glanced at Masaki again, wondering where he had learned to talk to the dead from. My gaze went back to Ichigo who glanced over at me while talking. He smiled and held his hand out to me. I really didn't want to face my sister, guilt was pulsing through me and I was so tempted to shake my head, denying his gesture. Instead I hesitantly stood and slowly made my way to Ichigo's side. Before I even glanced at Hisana's picture, I felt tears running down my 's hand found it's way on my back as I turned towards her stone.

Though I was sad and feeling extremely guilty, I was able to keep some of my composure and I didn't break down like I had the last time I was in the cemetary. After wiping those tears away, no more fell and I was able to slowly calm down.

"I told you I'd be able to get her over here." Ichigo laughed and slid his hand onto my shoulder. I glanced up at him suspiciously. His smile widened and he nodded towards Hisana. "She didn't believe me." A laugh escaped my throat as I looked back at my sister. I sighed and fell onto my knees, kneeling in front of her.

"I miss you." My words were a lot quieter and Ichigo kneeled down next to me as I spoke. He wrapped an arm around me and looked at Hisana's picture intently.

"You look exactly like her." I smiled up at him before following his gaze.

"Not exactly but yeah I know."

"People must tell you that a lot." I nodded and stretched my legs out.

"Yup. She always tried to get me to wear the same clothes." Ichigo laughed loudly.

"Did you?'

"Pfft, no. I hated that we looked so much alike. When I was younger, I always thought our family and friends hated me and when they told us that we looked exactly the same I felt like they were blending us together in their mind."

"Why did you think they hated you?"

"My parents always told that."

"That everyone hated you?" I nodded and he frowned down at me.

"They really did hate me though, aparently they only started drinking because I was born. I don't know I guess that always stuck with me."

"Rukia that's awful." I shrugged it off, I already dealt with it years ago.

"It's okay, I'm over it." I smiled up at him, trying to brush it off. He shook his head and I rested my head against him. "You picked a horrible place to go." I smiled up at him and he returned the gesture.

"Do you wanna go?" I blinked and tried to act disappointed.

"Our date's over?"

"No, do you always have to be a smart ass?" He stood and I followed suite.

"Only with you." He nudged me and I winked at him jokingly.

"'Don't worry, Hisana, I'll get this pain out of your hair." Ichigo was now smiling down at her tombstone again. "Bye." He grabbed my hand and started leading me towards his truck.

"Bye, Sana."

We continued to walk until we reached his old beat up truck and he let go of my hand. He pulled himself into the bed of the truck and grabbed a rolled up blanket. Without warning he tossed it towards me and then picked up a small cooler.

"What is all this?" This time he was more careful when getting out of the truck and once he was at my side again he answered.

"I'm going to take you out into woods and chop you up into tiny pieces and then put you in my cooler." He held up the small chilled box and grinned. I rolled my eyes.

"That doesn't make sense, why would you have a blanket?"

"So I can be nice and warm while I'm killing you." I laughed as he led me towards the opposite side of the cemetary.

"Really, where are we going?"

"Don't you trust me?" I thought about that, tapping my chin.

"No." He grabbed my hand again and continued.

"We are going to go to the empty side of the establishment."

"Why?" He sighed and shook his head. After walking to the middle of the emtpy expansion, Ichigo took the blanket from my hand and spread it out on the ground.

"Sit down." I narrowed my eyes but sat anyway. Ichigo did the same but soon stretched out, laying on his stomach. He propped himself up on his elbows and looked up at me. "Open the cooler."

"You're being pretty bossy, don't you think?" He smiled at me and pushed the cooler closer. "You open it."

"You really don't trust me, do you?" I laughed but he reached over and slid the lid open. I glanced inside curiously and saw three or four tupperware containers. In them appeared to be different foods that I couldn't make out through the plastic.

"A picnic at a cemetary?" I smiled over at him, actually pleased with his unique attempts.

"Are you going to complain about everything tonight? Because I can take you home if you want." We both laughed and I shook my head.

"I'm just kidding but it is an...unusual spot to eat."

"It's not a big deal, just get out the food." I pulled out the containers and sat them in the space between Ichigo and myself. My eyes went back to the cooler to make sure I had grabbed everything. Sitting in the bottom of it was a rose that looked rather smashed. I pulled it out and threw it at him.

"Looks like you forgot to clean this out from your last date."

"Ha ha, Rukia. I put that there _intentionally_." His mocking tone made me laugh and he raised his eyebrows to add effect. I laid down, adjusting my dress carefully, and propped up on my elbows. I started opening the tupperware to see my options. Most of it was fruit and there were diced pieces of cheese. I casually popped a cube of cheese in my mouth and looked up at him. Ichigo held the flower out to me, practically hitting me in the face with it. He grinned as I glanced at it. I grabbed it and sat it aside, turning back to the food. After taking another bite, this time eating a grape, I turned my attention back to him.

"So, were you close with your mother?" He blinked, looking sort of surprised by my question, and nodded.

"Yeah, I was sort of a mama's boy." I grinned and nodded.

"I could see that."

"Why do you say that?" He took a bite of cheese while I answered.

"Because, the way you act." He furrowed his brow.

"And how is that?"

"I dunno, I mean you're just sensitive. It makes sense." Ichigo picked a grape out of the bowl and threw it in my direction.

"What are you getting at, Kuchiki?" I laughed before throwing it back.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt your pride?" He shrugged his shoulders, staring off towards the entrance.

"Only a little, I'll be okay though." His gaze turned to me.

"You know, you and Byuakuya seem pretty close. Aren't in-laws supposed to be a nuisance?" His hand reached over and pushed some of my hair behind my shoulder. I jokingly pulled away, earning a shove, and thought about it.

"Yeah, I guess they are but it's different with Byuakuya. My sister met him when she was 14 and I was 5 so he's been around for a while."

"Wow, I didn't know you guys knew each other that long."

"Yup, for as long as I can remember." I grabbed an apple slice and took a bite.

"So when your parents died did you live with them?"

"My brother and sister? No, they weren't married then and Hisana wasn't old enough to legally keep me." I kicked my shoes off and turned on my side.

"Where'd you live?"

"I spent about a year and a half at a kids center."

"What do you mean kid center?" He watched me, waiting for me to explain.

"It's like a big boarding house where this couple lived and they were foster parents to about twenty kids. I guess they didn't want us to feel like we were in the system so they called it a kids center."

"I've never heard of a place like that before, what was it like?" My mind went back to the months I spent in that huge house with all those bratty kids and well managed schedules.

"It was loud and lively 24 hours a day. I hated it." I smiled thinking about all the children that I could remember.

"You don't like lively?"

"Not all the time, I just wanted to be by myself but I shared a room with two other girls and we weren't allowed to shut our door. I never had time to be alone and most of the kids were awful, probably deliquents now." Ichigo smiled and nodded.

"And you were different?"

"Well, yeah, I wasn't a snot nosed bitch." His eyebrows rose and he had to contain his laughter. "I'm sorry but because of those kids, I don't think I'll ever want to have children, ever."

"They were that bad?" I nodded. "What was the couple like?"

"They tried too hard and still didn't understand what I wanted. The woman always told me that I could talk to her about my feelings and she acted like she expected me to but that's the complete opposite of what I wanted from her. And they both tried to schedule every single minute of everyday. It was the most annoying thing."

"Needless to say, you were happy when Hisana turned 18?"

"More like overjoyed," I finished off the grapes and tossed the container aside as I spoke. I rested my head on the blanket after pushing the rest of the food towards Ichigo. My eyes went to the sky and I had to look at my phone to make sure of the time. It was already almost eight o'clock and it would be getting dark within thirty minutes.

"What about you?" Ichigo was still sitting up on his elbows and turned his gaze down, towards me.

"What about me?"

"What was your childhood like?" He shrugged and turned on his side, his body facing me.

"Pretty normal, no kids center for me." I laughed as I rolled my eyes.

"That doesn't tell me anything. Tell me something, anything." He nodded as a thoughtful expression fell on his face.

"When I was nine, I fell out of my window and broke my arm."

"You fell out of the second story window?" My eyes had widened slightly.

"Yup."

"What were you trying to do?" Ichigo ran his hand through his hair and laughed.

"There used to be a big tree in our front yard and I would always climb out my window into the tree. Well, I didn't exactly make it that time and I fell. My dad had the thing removed a week later."

"Are you serious? That is hilarious, you must have been such a dumb child." My smile widened as he glared at me.

"I open up my past to you and you call me dumb? I'm starting to think you were a little 'snot nosed bitch'." I shrugged, still amused with his story.

"Maybe I was, who knows?" The clouds started covering the sun, giving us shade. I closed my eyes as my head rested on my arm, feeling pretty relaxed. We sat in silence for a few moments but before I could get anymore comfortable, I felt a few rain drops hit my arms. My eyes slid open and looked up at the sky again.

"It's raining." Ichigo laughed and stood. He stretched his arms above his head before holding his hand out to me. I grabbed it and stood also.

"It's sprinkling." I waved him off and started putting the tupperware back in his cooler while he folded up the blanket. He bent over and picked up the rose before handing it to me. Ichigo took the cooler out of my hands and headed for the truck. I followed a few steps behind and absently twirled the flower between my fingers, cautious of the thorns. Ichigo carelessly tossed his belongings in the bed of his truck and quickly made his way to my door, pulling it open. The rain was coming down harder now and I quickened my pace to escape the wheather. I felt Ichigo's hands grip my waist as he hoisted me into the vehicle. I smiled and told him to hurry, I could see that his Tshirt was getting wet. Instead of running to the other side of the car, which would have been the smart thing to do, he leaned closer to me and kissed me on my cheek. A smile resided on his face when he pulled away and I nudged him. He hastily moved around the vehicle and pulled himself in, sliding the key in the ignition and turning on his truck.

"You're soaked Ichigo." He backed out and headed for the exit.

"I'm fine but this might ruin our other plans."

"What other plans?" Ichigo flipped on his right blinker and turned when the road was clear.

"There's this firework display they're setting off tonight in the park and we were going to watch them from my roof but if it doesn't stop raining, we won't be able to."

"Oh no, then what'll we do?" He smiled at my mocking tone and glanced over at me.

"I guess I'll just have to drop you off at home, so you can spend the rest of the night with your brother." I shook my head and laid my head back against the seat.

"No thank you." My eyes went to his arms as I noticed goose bumps rising all across the surface of his skin. "You must be freezing." I brushed my hand over the top of his arm, and smiled when more goose bumps appeared. He shrugged and looked over at me quickly. I turned and glanced behind the seats and saw a sweatshirt. "There's a jacket back here, do you want it?"

"Let me see it." I grabbed it and held it up for him to glance at. "No thanks." My eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"Why did it matter?"

"That's Kon's, I can't wear his stuff."

"Why not?" Ichigo smiled as he turned left at the light. His house was only about ten minutes away.

"Kon's so scrawny, most of his clothes are too small for me."

"Nu-uh, you guys are practically the same." He shook his head.

"No we're not."

"I bet you could wear this. I'll bet you ten dollars you can get it on." He shrugged and held his hand out. "Not now, you can't drive while pulling a hoodie over your head. God, you really are dumb."

"You better watch it, you're going to give me road rage and I might drive into a tree just to shut you up." I laughed and rested my head back again. After a minute or two of silence we pulled into Ichigo's drive way. He killed the engine and got out of the truck. I waited, knowing that he wanted to open my door, until he reached my side and did just that. He helped me out and started for the door.

"Wait, try it on." I held the sweater out to him and smiled. He sighed and pulled the jacket over his head with some effort. "See, I told you!"

"What? Do you see how tight it is? And look at the sleeves, they're at least three inches too short. You're full of it and you owe me ten bucks." I shook my head as he spoke and held my hand out.

"I believe the bet was that you could get the hoodie on, I never said it had to fit you to a t." He sighed and pulled out his wallet and handed me a ten dollar bill. I grinned up at him victoriously as he pulled the sweatshirt off. He tossed it back in the truck and led me to the front door. Ichigo reached for the door handle but stopped himself and turned towards me.

"I made a deal with my dad that he wasn't aloud to talk to us while we're here so if he talks to you, ignore him."

"What? That's so rude? I can't ignore him." He nodded.

"Yes you can and you will. Besides I think he's working in the clinic tonight so we shouldn't even see him." He pulled open the door and ushered me in. I slid my slightly moistened sandals off and wiped my feet on the mat. Ichigo kicked his off carelessly and grabbed my wrist. We headed towards the stairs and as we reached the second floor Ichigo's hand slid down, his fingers lacing with mine. He led me to his bedroom and looked out the window.

"The rain stopped I just don't want to go up there and get soaked again." I shrugged and stepped closer to the window.

"Let's go, we can always dry off if we get wet." He looked down at me and lightly tugged at the sleeve of my dress.

"This material is pretty thin and you'd have no other clothes to change into." Again I shrugged.

"I don't care, I wanna watch the fireworks." He grinned and nodded. His hand slid out of mine and he walked out of the room before quickly returning with two blankets in his hand. He approached the window, unlocked it and pushed it open. "We have to go out the window?" Ichigo nodded, looking down at me. "The window you fell out of when you were nine? I don't think so."

"I thought you wanted to see the fireworks so badly."

"I do..." He chuckled under his breath and held his hand out to me.

"Then come on, I won't let you fall Rukia." Instead of taking his hand, I walked around him and approached the window to look down. It really wasn't that high but I was still a little scared. "Look, let me get up there and then I'll pull you up okay?"

"Okay." He held the blankets under one of his arms and used his free hand to grab the siding on the outside of the house. He took a step and balanced his feet on the ledge of the window before throwing the blankets on the roof. Then Ichigo pulled himself up and onto the roof like it was nothing.

"Come on, Rukia." I rested my hand against the side of the window's opening and gripped it tightly before I stepped onto the ledge. My heart started racing, I was not used to scaling the side of a house but soon I felt Ichigo grab my wrist and then the other. Instead of pulling me up, he slid one hand under my arm and again the other hand did the same. That's when he pulled me onto the roof and sat me next to him. "You okay?" I nodded and smiled.

"That was scary." He laughed and patted my back roughly. He turned and started spreading one of the blankets out and tossed the other on top of it.

"I'm going to go grab a couple pillows, I'll be right back." I nodded and wrapped my arms around my knees. Ichigo slid back into the room in one swift motion. It only took him a few minutes to return with two pillows resting under his arm. He sat them down at the top of the blankets and laid down, covering up quickly. I followed suite and laid next to him, pulling the blankets close.

"What are they fireworks for?" I turned my head and met his gaze. It was strange being eye-level with him.

"They're for you, didn't you know?" I smiled and rolled my eyes. He laughed and elbowed me. "One of the big businesses downtown doubled in size this year and I guess tonight is the anniversary of it's opening. My dad said the owner wanted everyone to know about it so they're doing a huge flashy two hour firework show."

"Two hours? That's so long for fireworks."

"So? I love fireworks, I was going to be up here with or without you." His smile widened and he winked at me jokingly.

"Gee, thanks." I tucked the blanket under my bare feet and wrapped it tighter around my arms. It was getting cold out and Ichigo was right, my dress made of thin fabric. Ichigo noticed as his expression shifted to something more serioius.

"Are you still cold? Do you want me to get another blanket?"

"No thanks, I'm fine." He grinned and turned on his side. He opened his mouth to say something but was cut off by the first firework. I turned my attention towards the show, ready for it to start. A gust of wind blew past the house and goose bumps started crawling up and down my arm. I couldn't help but shiver slightly which again gained Ichigo's attention. He nudged me and as I turned my head towards him he wrapped his arm around my frame and pulled me closer to him. I was pressed up against his chest as the firework display continued it's intro. He laid his head on mine and spoke into my ear.

"See, now I have an excuse to touch you." I heard him laugh as I tried to pull away, hoping to put a little distance between us. His grip didn't loosen and he continued. "I'm just kidding, this is purely for your safety, Rukia." I smiled and rolled my eyes. I folded my arms and laid my head back against his arm.

The first hour of the firworks display was a little slow and my body took it's sweet time getting used to the temperature outside. There was a lot of conversation during that first hour and we both learned a lot more about each other.

By the second half of the show I was more comfortable with our close proximity. He was extremely warm which made it easier for me to handle. The fireworks had begun to speed up and there was hardly a point in the last half when one wasn't flashing in the sky. Despite the noise and bright lights, I felt myself getting tired. I knew the show only had about twenty minutes or so left but I let my eyes slide shut. I was so close to unconciousness when Ichigo nudged me with his shoulder. Instinctively I sat up but Ichigo pulled me back down and I turned towards him.

"Hm?"

"Sorry, I was just making sure you were awake." A small smile rested on his mouth and I nodded, letting out a tired sigh. Without another thought I closed my eyes again and felt myself drifting off immediately. I turned on my side naturally, used to sleeping on my stomach or side, and rested my head against Ichigo's chest. The last thing I can recall was his other arm wrapping around my waist and feeling even warmer than before.

-:-

I jumped awake as Ichigo shifted next to me. My phone was going off and when I squinted towards the park, I saw complete darkness. I quickly answered my phone and groggily spoke.

"Hello?" Ichigo sat up next to me as I spoke.

"Rukia? Where are you? You know you're 45 minutes late." Byuakuya questioned on the other line and he sounded more worried than angry.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry, Byu. We must have fallen asleep."

"You fell asleep?" I laughed and stretched out my legs. They were freezing from the icy breeze.

"We were watching the firework display on Ichigo's roof and I guess we fell asleep. I'm really sorry, I'll be home as soon as possible." He sighed and I could tell he was exhausted. Guilt started sinking in as I recalled his sleeping issue at work. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't be sorry, I know it's not your fault. Just get home okay?"

"Okay, bye." I hung up and rubbed my eyes. Ichigo stretched his arms above his head and stood. We started gathering the blankets and pillows without a word. He tossed all of them in his window and turned towards me.

"Do you need help back in?" I nodded and approached the edge of the building. Ichigo kneeled and held onto my arms as I slid back into the house. I moved away from the open window so he had room and waited for him. Without another word we headed down the stairs and out of the house. Again he opened my door and helped me get in his truck before walking over to the driver side. Within a minute or two we were heading home in silence. I rested against the seat tiredly and stared out the windshield. The ride was silent for at least five minutes before Ichigo glanced over at me, smiling.

"Are you always this quiet when you're tired?" I returned the gesture and nodded. His quiet laughter filled the small space between us. "You're cute when your half awake. I guess the silence is just a bonus." I narrowed my eyes and pretended to glare at him.

"Ha ha. I can start talking if you'd like." My throat was so dry from sleeping outside and my voice cracked as I spoke. Ichigo's expression went from amused to slightly sympathetic.

"Does your throat hurt?" I shook my head and stayed silent. He smiled and nodded, stretching his arm out on the back of my seat absently. "Did you have fun or did I bore you to death?" I cleared my before answering.

"I had a lot of fun." His eyebrows rose slightly as he nodded.

"Me too, but I expected it to be fun." I chuckled and rubbed my eyes again. "Don't worry though, our next date will be a lot better."

"Oh really? I wasn't aware of a next date."

"Oh yeah, I don't take no for an answer." He pulled into my drive way and parked his car. I thought he would get out to help me out but instead he turned to me. "If you want, I'll let you decide what we do." I thought about it and made sure he noticed, tapping my chin.

"I dunno, I'm sort of booked for the next...well for weeks. You know a lot of people have been waiting for a chance at Rukia." He laughed and shook his head.

"Well, you're just going to have to cancel. You're mine now." I shook my head and held up my hands.

"I think we're losing focus here, I **think** you were about to **ask **about a second date but I'm not sure." Ichigo laughed and nodded.

"Rukia, do you want to do this again next weekend?" As he asked he held out the rose I had left in the truck from our picnic. I smiled and took the flower from his hand for the millionth time.

"Sure, I have nothing better to do." I couldn't help but grin as his face fell.

"You're such a bitch." A loud laugh escaped me as I slid my sandals on. He grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to kiss my cheek. I did the same, stretching just to reach his face, and pushed open the door. "Goodnight, Rukia. See you tomorrow." I turned back to him and furrowed my brow.

"Oh god, I forgot about tomorrow."

"You don't wanna go?"

"Not if you're going to be there." I grinned and winked before sliding out of the truck. I waved and slammed the door shut then headed for the front door with my phone and rose in the opposite hand. Ichigo's truck sat in the driveway for a few minutes, even after I was inside. He started backing out as I head up the stairs and my phone went off in my hand. I flipped it open to see a message from Ichigo pop up on my screen.

**I'm going to smother you tomorrow in front of everyone, BEWARE!**

I laughed and started typing out a response as my mind continued replaying different moments from our date. I couldn't deny it anymore, I definitely had strong feelings for Ichigo.

-:-

**Okay, sorry if the ending was weird! I hope it's okay please review! Thanks a bunch for reading! ;D**


	10. Chapter 10

**So...I had like 90% of this written last Sunday and I told myself that school wouldn't get in my way but...it did...I'm terribly sorry! I'm really excited about getting into the good parts of this story! :D I hope you're all enjoying it just as much as I am! :P Enjoy/ R&R! ;)**

-:-

A light rap on my door, woke me from my sleep. My eyes slid open as Byuakuya walked into my room. I glanced at the clock and sat up in my bed; the clock read 11:13. I couldn't believe I had slept in so long but I felt well rested. My brother sat on the end of my bed as I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand.

"Good morning."

"Morning," I yawned and stretched, still a little groggy from sleep.

"Did you have fun yesterday?" I nodded and gave him a skeptical look.

"Why?" He smiled and shrugged.

"I was just asking, why are you so suspicious?"

"I just didn't expect you to ask, I thought you'd act like it didn't happen. You know, pretend I'm still the five year old girl you met 13 years ago." He pulled his legs on the bed and turned, facing me. He shook his head.

"I can't believe how fast those years passed. You're almost eighteen." He sighed, looking like a depressed parent.

"Don't worry, if it makes you feel better, I"ll let you take of me for a few more years." I smiled when his expression shifted into one of surprise. "What?"

"Are you really going to live here during college?"

"Yeah, you thought I'd leave?" He shrugged as I stretched my legs out.

"You always talked about leaving, I thought you'd want to."

"That was before everything happened with Hisana. I don't want to live by myself anymore." Byuakuya nodded and patted my knee.

"So what are your plans for today? When is Kisa coming home?"

"Actually I'm going to get dressed and head over to Michiru's soon. I think we're going to stay over there for a while. Oh and Kisa said something about having Kon over, do you care?"

"No that's fine, just let me know." I stood and started digging through my dresser.

"Okay, I'll text you. What are you going to do on your day off?" He ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.

"I don't really know." My smile widened as I glanced over a him while gathering some clothes.

"What happened to the spontaneous fun Byuakuya?"

"I wasn't the spontaneous one, Rukia, your sister was. I only went along with her weird ideas because I love her." I laughed at his remark.

"Maybe you should've learned a thing or two from her instead of just going along with it." I sighed, feeling slightly guilty. "Are you going to be sitting around the house all day? If you are I can go get Kisa and bring her home so we can keep you company." Byuakuya smiled as he shook his head again.

"No, go ahead, there's plenty to do here." He stood and headed for the door. "Have fun," he spoke and left so I could change.

After getting dressed in jeans and a tshirt I went downstairs and found Byuakuya putting clean dishes away. I offered to do it for him but he turned me down and told me that I should get going. It shouldn't have come as a shock that my brother would spent his day off cleaning the house. Still, I felt bad for leaving him all alone, though he practically shoved me out the door. I got in my car and did my best to remember the way to Michiru's house before pulling out of the driveway. After only a few minutes in the car, my phone started going off, alerting me of a call. I grabbed the phone from the seat next to me, flipped it open and hit the speaker button.

"Hello?" I said, speaking loudly because of the distance between me and the device.

"Hi Rukia! When are you coming over?" Kon's voice rang in my car, just as loud as if he were actually sitting in the passenger seat.

"I'm heading your way now, it should only be like fifteen minutes. That is if I don't get lost." Kon laughed and reassured me, saying he would tell me how to get there. "How's Kisa?"

"Fine, I guess. She's still sleeping."

"Really? How late were you guys up last night?" I could hear Hisagi and Renji laughing in background and wondered if Mina was there.

"I dunno, I fell asleep at like three but Kisa went to bed around midnight."

"Wow, I hope she's feeling okay."

"I'm sure she's fine." I nodded even though I was aware that Kon couldn't see me. "How did your family thing go?" I blinked, confused for only a second before I realized what he was talking about. My stomach dropped slightly; I didn't want to drag the lie further but I was not ready for them to know about my date last night with Ichigo, especially not Kon.

"Uh, it was okay, not the funnest thing in the world but good I guess."

"That's good, I'm glad. At least you're willing to tell us, Ichigo still won't tell us what he did last night. You know, he was talking about having plans. Do you know if he ever followed up with your cousin?" My eyebrows turned down slightly, I had forgotten about Kaminari and her desperate act to get Ichigo's attention.

"I don't think so but then again, I wouldn't know. I don't talk to her very often."

"Oh, okay. I just thought he was seeing some girl and didn't want us to know. He's done that before." I smiled, my eyebrows now raising.

"Really?"

"Yeah, well he told me but no one else. I texted him all last night though and he never answered and now that he's here, he won't tell me anything."

"Hm, weird." Kon sighed on the other end and continued.

"Oh well, I'm not going to worry about it. Are you finding your way okay?"

"I think so. I'm supposed to be on 5th street, right?" This path started looking a little more familiar but I wasn't 100% sure.

"Yeah, just follow that until you see the entrance to her neighborhood. It should be on your left in a few minutes."

"Okay, I think I remember." I glanced over at a corner gas station to check the prices and spotted a familiar car sitting next to one of the pumps. While carefully driving by, I continued to glance back at the car to see if I could identify the driver but never got a close enough look.

"Rukia?" My eyes went back to the road and I gave Kon my attention.

"Sorry, I got distracted."

"No problem, do you need anymore directions?"

"No but I wanted to ask you something while I have you on the phone." I saw the large entrance in the distance and checked my mirrors before getting in the left turning lane.

"Okay, what's up?"

"Why haven't you asked Kisa out yet?" There was a moment of silence before I heard him laugh quietly.

"I dunno, I just haven't."

"It's sort of weird, don't you think? You two obviously like each other and have been spending a lot of time together. Why not just ask her and make it official?" I turned into the neighborhood and slowed the car down.

"I guess I'm just nervous, but I will okay so don't sweat it." I laughed and drove through the gate into the huge property.

"Okay, well I'm here. I'll see you inside." My phone made a strange beeping sound but I ignored it for the time being.

"Alright see you soon." He hung up and I parked next to Kiba's car. After turning off the car and unbuckling, I grabbed my cell off the seat only to find a message from Ichigo. I leaned back in my seat and opened it.

**Where are you? I can't smother you if you're not here ;)**

I smiled and rolled my eyes before typing out my response.

**I just got here and you better leave me alone or I'll avoid you all day. **

With that, I pushed open my door and got out. I took a quick glance to see who was here. In the large group of vehicles I could identify Kiba's, Ichigo's, Renji's, Michiru's, and Mina's. I was a little surprised to see Mina's and I hoped that there wouldn't be any drama going on. As I approached the front steps, my phone went off again. I flipped it open and read Ichigo's message.

**You know you can't stay away from me, who do you think you're kidding?**

I sighed and pocketed the device while continueing up the stairs. I was about to knock on the large door but it opened and Michiru greeted me smiling. I returned the gesture and took a few steps inside before kicking off my shoes.

"Hi Rukia! How was your family visit yesterday?"

"Good, thanks." She nodded and led me upstairs to one of the sitting rooms where everyone was talking amongst others. Due to the size of the room, it didn't look as crowded as one might think. Almost everyone was donning some sort of pajamas with the exception of Ichigo who was sitting in the far corner with Hisagi, Kiba, and Tatsuki wearing ratty jeans and a faded tshirt. I looked around for Kon and once I spotted him, Michiru and I headed his way. He smiled up at me and greeted me enthusiastically, as if we hadn't just gotten off the phone.

"Hey Ruk!" I grinned and sat on he couch next to him, pulling my legs into Indian style comfortably. Michiru stood in front of us and folded her arms.

"Hi Kon." He ruffled up my hair and I pulled away as Michiru addressed me.

"Have you had breakfast yet Rukia?"

"No, I haven't."

"Well, it should be done soon." I smiled and nodded, brushing some of my disheveled hair behind my ear.

"Okay, thanks." Again my phone went off, it still resided in my hand as it began vibrating and ringing. I hit the silent button and slid it in my pocket. Michiru gave me an amused look as she cocked an eyebrow.

"Why are you ignoring your phone?"

"It's just someone trying to annoy me." Kon looked down at me, a serious expression on his face.

"Who? Are they bothering you?" I laughed and shook my head.

"Not when I'm ignoring them. It's no big deal." He nodded and looked up as Kisa walked towards us. A smile returned to his face as she sat on the other side of him, starring off lazily.

"Good morning, Kisa. Did you sleep okay?" Michiru grinned down at her pleasantly, waiting for an answer. Kisa simply nodded. It was hard to believe how different she was acting. I was sort of used to her more talkative self since she'd moved in and gotten closer to me.

Hisagi walked up to the couch we were occupying and quickly struck up a conversation with Michiru. He would glance towards Kon, Kisa, and I every few seconds so we knew he was speaking to all of us but I was distracted. I heard my name being called and looked over to see Ichigo smiling at me and gesturing for me to approach him. I shook my head and turned back to Hisagi. I attempted to jump back into the conversation but soon heard my name again.

"Rukia, get over here." Ichigo's voice was loud and a little demanding and it got other's attention. I sighed and stood as Hisagi continued talking. I walked around him and headed towards Ichigo who was alone now. When I reached him I stood at least six feet away from him and folded my arms.

"What do you want you jackass?" He smiled up at me, looking suspicious, and gestured for me to come closer.

"Why are you acting like I have the plague or something?"

"Because I don't trust you." I tried to keep a smile off my face, though the statement was pretty true. He reached out to grab my arm but I stepped back. "Don't touch me." He sighed and stood as I took two more steps away from him. I laughed as he sat back down, giving up.

"You're being a bitch today, you know that? I might have to break up with you in front of all our friends." Again I let out a laugh and shrugged. I sat on the opposite side of the couch he was occupying and turned towards him.

"I think I can handle that." He turned toward me and raised his eyebrows.

"Oh really, so you won't mind if I tell everyone about our date last night?" I narrowed my eyes, knowing that he was just joking.

"Tell them and you're dead." He smiled and pulled his legs onto the couch.

"Maybe I will, maybe I won't. Who can really say?" I shrugged.

"Okay, go ahead but you'll regret it." I stood and took a step back. "I'm going to go talk to someone less annoying." I smiled and turned to leave but I felt Ichigo grab my wrist.

"Wait, don't leave. I'm just messing with you, Rukia." I looked back at him and rolled my eyes, obviously amused.

"I know Ichigo. I've just had enough of you for a while." My smile widened and he rolled his eyes, grinning again. His grip on my arm tightened as he pulled me closer. He stood from the couch and tightly wrapped his arms around me. My eyes widened as his constricting grip tightened noticeably. He leaned down as I tried to pull away. Before I knew it, his lips were pressed against mine and I continued struggling. After a long while he finally pulled away, a grin on his face. My face was so warm and I knew I was blushing. There was a little anger in me but most of it was embarrassment. I shoved him back, pushing him onto the couch and pulled my hand back, smacking him roughly in the face.

By that time, we already everyones attention and I heard Renji burst into laughter. I tried to ignore them as Ichigo stared up at me with wide eyes. I couldn't keep the amused smile off my own face. He looked sort of scared by my actions, which he totally deserved. I pointed my finger in his face, my other hand on my hip and spoke.

"Don't touch me." I turned and headed back towards Michiru and Kon, my expression now serious. I stood in front of Kisa and looked down at her. "Do you mind if we head home?" She blinked and shook her head. Kisa stood and led me out of the room. She approached a room and grabbed her bag before turning to me.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." We exited the room and headed down the stairs but we turned when I heard Michiru call my name.

"Rukia, please don't leave." Her eyebrows were turned down and she looked upset. Ichigo had followed her and stood a few steps behind her.

"Yeah, I was just messing with you." I shook my head and spoke to Michiru.

"Thanks but I'm gonna go. I'll see you guys Monday." Again we turned and headed down the stairs. I quickly slid my shoes on, saw Ichigo following and continued out the door. I made it to my car before he caught up to us. I was just about to shut my door but he caught it and leaned down.

"Rukia, stop, come back inside." A small smile found its way on my face.

"I told you, you'd regret it." I pushed him away and pulled my door shut. I carefully drove around him and headed home. We rode in silence but Kisa turned to me within a few minutes.

"Are you sure you're okay?" My smile widened and I nodded.

"I'm just embarrassed, that's really why I needed to leave. I'm just screwing with Ichigo." She smiled and pushed her slightly disheveled hair behind her shoulder.

"I think he's really worried." I shrugged and glanced at her.

"I warned him and there's no way I was going to go back in that house after that." She laughed, turning to her beeping phone. After a moment of silence she turned back to me, looking amused.

"We forgot Kon." I chuckled and momentarily turned my gaze to her again.

"Tell him to get a ride from Ichigo, my brother said he's okay with Kon coming over." She nodded and started texting him back. "I'm sorry I had to drag you off so soon."

"It's okay, I'm not very comfortable with so many people and I was feeling a little anxious."

"Yeah, they're a little overwhelming sometimes." She nodded in agreement. "By the way, I asked Kon why he hasn't asked you out yet and do you know what he said?" She simply shook her head. "He said he was just nervous." We both smiled and I continued. "You make him nervous, isn't that cute?" She laughed quietly. "But he said he'd ask you soon. I dunno, he's taking his sweet time."

"What about you? What'd you and Ichigo do yesterday?" I glanced in my mirrors and stopped at the upcoming redlight.

"We went to the cemetary to visit my sister and his mother."

"Really?" I grinned and nodded.

"I thought it was a little weird too. I mean it was thoughtful and I finally learned about his mom but he tried to get me to talk to them. It was a little odd, I was uncomfortable with it."

"You've never done that before?" I shook my head. The light turned green and I continued home.

"You have?"

"I did with my brother, it's not a big deal." My shoulders shrugged lazily as I focused on the road.

"I know, maybe it's not so much weird. I think I'm just not ready to fully accept that she's gone for good." I felt Kisa's small hand on my shoulder and smiled over at her. An idea popped into my head as she returned the gesture. "Can I ask you a question?" She nodded and pulled her hand away. "If we asked you to move in with us, like for good, would you?" She blinked, her eyes getting a little wide.

"I- why?" I laughed and shrugged again.

"I'm just asking, I was thinking about talking to Byuakuya about it. Would you want to?" I saw her shake her head in my peripheral.

"I'm already imposing, I couldn't live with you."

"You're not imposing and believe me, I want you to but only if you want to too." She was silent and I could tell she was feeling a little uncomfortable. "Don't you want to get away from your father?"

"Yes."

"Will you at least talk about it with me and Byuakuya later?" Kisa hesitantly nodded as I pulled into our neighborhood. I shifted the conversation into an easier topic. "Have you talked to your brother anymore?"

"Yeah, he texted me and told me he'd be here tomorrow morning."

"Okay, I'll get the other guest room ready tonight." I pulled into the drive way and killed the engine. Kisa unbuckled but didn't get out of the car.

"My brother told me that he was bringing his fiancee...is that okay?" I smiled and nodded.

"Of course, that's exciting. Have you met her before?"

"No, I didn't know he was engaged until he said that."

"It sucks that you guys aren't very close." She nodded and stepped out of the car. I did the same and walked around the front of the vehicle. Kisa continued our conversation once we met up again.

"It's not his fault, he left as soon as he was eighteen because he couldn't take my dad anymore. He's a good brother though, once in a while he would send me letters or money. I'm kind of excited to see him again." I smiled again, sincerely happy for her.

"I'm glad, I can't wait to meet him." Her expression shifted.

"Why?" My smile widened.

"I have a feeling he'll be pretty cute." She laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Really, Ruk? He's coming with his fiancee, don't forget that."

"I know, but I can still admire him can't I? Is he cute?" I pulled open the door and she gave me a strange look, wrinkling up her nose.

"No, I don't think my brother is cute." A laugh escaped my throat as we kicked off our shoes. When I glanced around the room I noticed that it had been cleaned.

"Wow, Byu's on the ball. You hear him? He's vacuuming." She smiled and we headed upstairs. Kisa headed for her room and tossed her bag on the bed. I gestured for her to follow me and spoke over the vacuum. "Come on, I'll fix us something to eat." She nodded and, with her phone in hand, we turned back to the stairway. Byuakuya was now there, cleaning the carpet if front of the stairs, and smiled at us. He had his long hair pulled into a ponytail and was still donning his pajamas. He flipped off the cleaner and smiled at us.

"Why are you back so soon? I thought you were going to stay at your friends house."

"Eh, we decided to leave early, don't worry about it." He smiled at me and rolled his eyes. His gaze went to Kisa, who had a slightly amused expression on her face.

"What?" She shook her head but he persisted.

"I just never expected to see your hair in a ponytail." We all laughed and I looked over at her.

"It got in the way but thank you for making me feel ridiculous." Byuakuya's smile widened but Kisa's face fell slightly. He held his hands up. "I'm just teasing, it was funny." She nodded slightly and I rolled my eyes at my brother.

"Way to go, Byu, make her feel awkward. Come on, Kisa. Let's go get breakfast." Her smile reappeared and I turned towards the stairs. We quickly made our way to the kitchen and I pulled open the fridge. "It's a little late for breakfast food...I can heat us up some leftovers. Does that sound okay?" She sat at the table and nodded. Kisa still wasn't comfortable enough to get in the cabinets and fridge without permission and she preferred not to.

"Kon said they're almost here and that Ichigo said he's coming inside." I sighed and rolled my eyes before sitting a bowl of rice and vegetable medley in the microwave. After entering an appropriate time, I hit the start button and walked over to the table.

"Okay, I'm going to try to keep this up so just go alone with it. Was I convincing earlier?"

"Yeah, I thought you were going to kill him when he came up to the car." I laughed, glad that my act was working.

"Good." I grabbed the bowl out of the microwave and grabbed two spoons. After sitting it on the table, I got in the fridge and grabbed two bottles of water. I handed Kisa a spoon and we both started digging in. I was about to ask Kisa how her classes were going but a loud knock on the front door cut me off. "Would you mind getting it?" She looked uncertain but nodded and headed for the door. I was turned in my chair and watched as she pulled it open. Kon was standing in front of Ichigo who spotted me immediately. I turned around in my seat and took a deep breath, trying my best to keep a smile off my face. Ichigo's feet shuffled slightly as he made his way into the kitchen. I took another bite of food as he took Kisa's seat next to me. He looked down at me, looking a little irritated and anxious.

"Why won't you listen to me?" I bit my lip to keep myself from laughing but simply shook my head. "Rukia, this isn't funny. I was just joking around, don't be pissed at me. I'm sorry okay?" Kon and Kisa were standing close to the door and silently observing. I shrugged my shoulders, not looking directly at him. He sighed and laid his hands on the table. They were bunched into fists and when I did glance at him, he was glaring at me. He was obviously frustrated and that's when I couldn't hide my amusemant anymore. I smiled, causing him to blink, looking puzzled. I laughed at his new expression and patted him on the arm.

"You're an idiot." He continued to blink, staring at me confused.

"What?"

"I'm not that mad. Okay, I was pretty pissed but I only left because you embarrassed the shit out of me." He narrowed his eyes as he started to understand. "But you better never do that sort of thing again." Still he said nothing. "Maybe you'll take my warnings more seriously from now on." My smile widened and I tapped his nose, mockingly. He grabbed my hand tightly and he fought to keep a smile off his face.

"I'm going to kick your ass, Rukia." He stood and pulled me up by the arm. His other arm wrapped around my neck and he dug his knuckles into my head. I tried to pull away, laughing.

"What am I, your little brother? Let me go." He laughed but soon froze. I looked in the same direction and saw Byuakuya standing there with his arms folded.

"Hey, Byuakuya. I like your hair like that." Kisa and I laughed, mine a little too loud. My brother blinked and slightly shook his head.

"Just be careful, Rukia bruises easily." Ichigo laughed and grinned down at me, bending over me to see my face. His upside down expression looked a little cynical.

"Sweet, I have permission to kick your ass." I pushed his face away with my palm and pulled away.

"Gee, thanks Byu." He smiled at me warmly and approached the counter before pulling out a coffee mug from a nearby cabinet. He poured himself the last of the coffee and looked back at us.

"Where's Kisa?" I gestured towards the living room and Kon pulled her into the kitchen. He smiled up at my brother happily.

"Hi." His eyes widened and a surprised look crossed his features. "Wow, you and Rukia look a lot alike for you to be her brother-in-law." Byuakuya's smile widened and he shrugged.

"You know how they say you start to look like your spouse after so many years of marriage?" Kon nodded. "Well Rukia looks exactly like her sister."

"Ah, that must be it." Kon laughed and ruffled up my hair for the second time that morning. I pushed his hand away and glanced over at Kisa. She always seemed a little less relaxed with 'Yuakuya around.

"Are you Kon?" He nodded and leaned back against our fridge.

"Yup."

"Are you Ichigo's brother or something?" Ichigo laughed and shook his head.

"God no, Kon's way too cool to be my brother." He smiled over at Kon who flipped him the bird. Ichigo laughed and roughly patted him on the shoulder. "Kon's my neighbor but he might as well be my brother." Byuakuya nodded, looking amused with the way they interacted.

"So why exactly do you want to beat Rukia?" Ichigo's eyes narrowed again and he glanced at me. I crossed my arms, knowing that Ichigo didn't realize why he shouldn't answer that question.

"She was making me think that she was super pissed at me. She even left Michiru's, refusing to talk to me." I rolled my eyes and sighed. Byuakuya gave me a confussed look.

"Why'd you do that?" Again I glanced at Ichigo and gave him a look, telling him how dumb he was.

"Because he attacked me." My brother gave Ichigo a skeptical glance and I said nothing else.

"...Do I even want to know?" I laughed and shook my head.

"No, let's not go there. Don't worry, I took care of myself." Byuakuya smiled again and pushed himself off the counter, coffee cup in hand.

"Well, I'm going to get back to work. You guys behave and let me know if you leave, okay?" The last statement was directed at Kisa and I and I nodded in agreement. He headed up the stairs and after a few minutes the vacuum roared back to life. Kisa and I sat back at the table and resumed eating. Ichigo sat on my other side and leaned his elbow against the table before resting his head in his hand.

"You're lucky your brother was here, Kuchiki. I would've beaten the shit out of you." I glanced at him before shaking my head.

"I highly doubt that." I felt Kon's hand against my head as he pushed me and turned to look up at him. "What was that for?"

"Why'd you lie to me about yesterday? I expected it of Ichigo but I thought you trusted me." I laughed and pointed at Ichigo.

"He made me, sorry."

"I did not, you're such a liar. She made me Kon, she's the one embarrassed to be seen or associated with me." Kon laughed and sat next to Kisa.

"Oh well, I'm just glad you didn't reject him twice. I don't think he would've bounced back like he did the first time, seeing as how he's all in love with you and junk." I chuckled and took another bite of rice.

"He's right, I probably would've fallen into a deep depression." Kon let out a loud laugh and took Kisa's unoccupied spoon before reaching around her to get a bite. He left the spoon in the bowl and leaned back in his seat.

"Right, I'm sure you'd live."

"You're right, I always could've called up your cute cousin." I looked up at him, turning my eyebrows down in disapproval. He smiled and shook his head. "Don't get jealous, it's okay. I told her that I couldn't talk to her anymore."

"Why?"

"Because she was always talking about hanging out or making plans to go out sometime and I don't think that would be appropriate seeing as how you've accepted my devotion to you." I looked over at Kon.

"Is he like mentally ill or a creep or something?" Kon laughed and shrugged.

"I dunno, he's never acted like this with his other girlfriends." I glanced at Ichigo skeptically and shook my head. I turned back to my food and continued eating. It felt like I hadn't eaten in two days; I hadn't realized that I was so hungry. After taking a few more bites I looked over at Ichigo, leaning back in my chair.

"What'd everyone say after we left?" He shrugged and glanced at Kon before answering.

"They just kinda stared at me like 'What the fuck was that?' until I said something."

"What'd you say?" Kon laughed and replied.

"He just smiled and said 'Don't fret, we're dating now.'" I laughed and rolled my eyes again.

"So you thought I was so pissed at you because of your little stunt and you thought it would be a good idea to announce that we were dating?" He grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, it felt like-"

"The right thing to do?"

"Yeah, pretty much." I turned back to the bowl in front of me.

"You really are an idiot." We sat around the table and I continued to eat until the bowl was empty. Kisa had eaten a decent amount but sat her spoon on the table when she was done. After I tossed the empty container and our utensils in the sink we decided to watch a movie. I led them to our upstairs sitting room where Ichigo and I had studied a week ago. I plopped down on the couch and pulled my legs up.

"Pick a movie and put it in." I ordered Ichigo who just nodded and started looking at his choices. Kon and Kisa sat on the opposite couch and Kon absently wrapped his arm around her tiny shoulders. I turned back to the now blue television screen as Ichigo stuck a DVD into the machine. I stretched out and rested my head on a pillow. Ichigo approached the couch and grabbed my ankles carefully. He lifted my legs and sat down, resting them on his lap. The movie started quickly and it didn't take long for me to realize that I'd seen it before. The film was a comedy and within twenty minutes it had Kon laughing hysterically. I smiled and felt a strange sense of happiness come over me. I guess I was just happy that he was happy.

The movie kept my attention for about forty-five minutes until I felt this strange pain in my stomach. I wrapped my arms around my midsection and tried to ignore it. Not only was my stomach hurting but I started feeling a little drowsy. I had slept almost ten hours the night before and it was strange for me to be this tired in the middle of the day. I allowed my eyes to close and felt myself drifting. I'd be asleep in no time. Ichigo shifted next to me and I glanced over at him as he stretched his legs onto the coffee table and leaned back against the couch. Again I slid my eyes shut and let myself slip into unconciousness.

-:-

_My eyes slid open and I sat up before looking around. I was sitting in our old living room with a thick blanket wrapped around me. I untangled myself and stood. That sharp pain in my stomach had intensified as I started calling out my brother's name._

_"Byuakuya? Where are you?" I heard some muffled sounds and headed down the hallway towards the kitchen and the noise got a little louder, reassuring me that I was getting closer. I was about to glance in Byu's small office to the left but before I could he walked right past me, heading towards the living room. He acted as if I weren't even there and his arm hit my shoulder, knocking me back into the wall. "Byuakuya? What are you doing?" He didn't turn to me and I noticed something grasped in his hand. He stopped walking in the middle of the room and stood there silently._

_"Byu-" He abruptly through the object angrily against the wall and the sound of glass shattering rang throughout the room. I jumped, scared by his sudden actions and took a few steps back. Still, he stood silent but I could now tell that he was fuming. I could practically see anger spewing off of him. Again my eyes went to his hands but this time I saw blood covering his palms and dripping from his fingers. My eyes widened as that strangled noise from earlier sounded again. I turned and hurried to the kitchen, almost afraid to turn my back to my brother. When I made it to the kitchen, my stomach churned miserably. I couldn't believe what I saw. Above the kitchen hung Hisana with a knoose around her neck. She was wearing a white dress and the skirt of it was drenched in blood. When I looked at her face I saw that her eyes were missing. _

_I covered my mouth, feeling like I could vomit. Byuakuya was now sitting at the table, his face was in his hands and I could hear him sobbing. I noticed a large bundle of towels sitting on the table and approached curiously. When I reached the table, I peered down and saw a baby wrapped in the towels. It was also covered in blood and didn't move at all or make a single noise. It was dead. _

_Byuakuya grabbed my arm tightly and when I turned back to him, I gasped and pulled away. His eyes were missing as well. The smell of blood and death was everywhere and I couldn't take it anymore. I stepped further and further back until I had bumped into someone. I screamed and jumped before turning to face Masaki Kurosaki. She was smiling at me sympathetically. She wore a white dress almost identical to Hisana's but her's wasn't tainted with blood and her large brown eyes were still in their sockets._

_"What happened?" I felt tears running down my face as she lightly placed her hand on my shoulder._

_"They were blind."_

_"What?" She looked up at Hisana and shook her head._

_"They were blind. They didn't see death heading in their direction and now they're both dead." Her eyes shifted and I knew she was looking at the baby. "He'll blind you too, Rukia, if you're not careful." I turned towards Byuakuya and saw him standing now, facing us. My eyes widened and I felt Masaki wrap her arms around me, holding me in place as my brother lunged at me. The only thing I could see was darkness and I felt like I was falling._

-:-

I jumped awake, letting out a loud scream and nearly fell off the couch. I felt Ichigo quickly grab me but I pulled away. My body was covered in sweat and that awful feeling in my stomach had gotten so much worse. I turned away from Ichigo, leaned over the couch and started puking. That smell from my dream was still lingering in my memory, making it worse. That odor was ten times worse than the scent in Kisa's kitchen when we found her mother dead. Once my stomach was empty, I sat up and tried to catch my breath.

"Oh my God, Rukia. What's wrong?" Ichigo laid his hand on my back as I wiped the sweat off my forehead. I shook my head, that sick feeling still residing in my midsection. My eyes started watering and I wasn't sure if it was because I was so scared or because I just puked.

"I...I just-" I shook my head, not ready to voice my nightmare and covered my eyes with my shaking hands. I couldn't help it, I started sobbing, so affected by the dream. My whole body was shaking now and I felt nervous. Ichigo wrapped his arm around me and pushed my hair out of my face. I took a few faltering breaths and wiped my eyes, gaining a little control over myself. Kisa stood and quickly left the room.

"What's wrong, are you sick?" I sat up and slightly pulled away from Ichigo again.

"No, I just..." I shook my head and Kisa came back into the room, Byuakuya following. He looked really worried and I felt guilty for causing him more stress. He walked over my mess on the carpet and kneeled down in front of the couch.

"Rukia, what's wrong? Are you sick? You're sweating."

"I'm fine, I just have a stomach ache." I still felt anxious from my dream and, though I knew it was ridiculous, it was hard to look Byuakuya in the eyes. The nightmare was so vivid in my memory. Most of the time I had a lot of trouble remembering dreams but every detail stuck with me, even a lingering hint of that smell. I was still breathing quickly and my hands shook in my lap. I felt so bad for making a big deal out of some stupid dream but something about it scared the hell out of me. Byuakuya slid his hands under my arms to support my weight and picked me up, pulling me to his shoulder like a child. I smiled slightly before wrapping my arms around his neck and laying my head on his shoulder. He squeezed me before sitting me back on the couch.

"Are you sure you're okay? Do you want me to make you an appointment with your doctor?" His eyebrows were turned down and he looked extremely worried.

"I'll be fine, thanks." Byuakuya nodded and hesitated before leaving the room. I stood and headed for the hallway closet. Byu, who had already beat me there, was pulling out paper towels and carpet cleaner. I held my hands out to him. "I'll clean it up."

"No, go lay down or something. I can get it."

"No, really, I'll do it." I took the items from his hand and went back to the sitting room. I kneeled down on the floor and started spraying the large spot on the carpet.

"Are you feeling better Rukia?" I looked up at Kon who's concern was all over his face.

"Yes, thanks." I smiled up at him and started scrubbing the carpet. Ichigo looked down at me from the couch.

"Were you dreaming or something? You woke up screaming." I nodded and continued cleaning.

"What were you dreaming about?" Kon leaned forward as I finished wiping up the mess. I shrugged in response and stood, taking the dirty paper towels to the nearest trash can and putting the cleaning spray away. I went back into the room, standing in the doorway.

"I'm going to go lay down for a while." Kisa and Kon nodded and I left, heading for the bathroom. After washing my hands I headed off to bed. Once I was curled up under the blankets I realized how bad my stomach still felt. I laid in silence with my door shut and my lights on for at least twenty minutes without even trying to go back to sleep. There was light knocking on my door but I didn't say anything, figuring Byuakuya would come in regardless. The door slid open and Ichigo stepped in. When he saw that I was still wide awake, he grinned at me softly and approached my bed after closing the door. He laid down next to me, laying over the covers, and propped his elbow up.

"I thought you were going back to sleep?" I shrugged and scooted over to give him more room. "Are you sure you're okay? You're really pale."

"Yeah, I'm fine." He smiled and rolled his eyes.

"I think you're lying." I returned the gesture and turned on my side, facing him.

"Why's that?"

"Because you're obviously not fine. If you were fine you wouldn't have come in here." He brushed some hair out of my face. I shrugged and pulled my blanket up to my shoulders. "Why'd you wake up so scared?"

"I just had a bad dream." He frowned.

"What was it about?" I glanced at my ceiling and wondered if I should tell him. I wasn't sure how he'd react to his mother's role in my dream but I decided that if he wanted to know, I'd tell him. I recollected the nightmare in it's entirety. Throughout the whole description, Ichigo kept a neutral expression on his face, even when I mentioned his mom. When I finished he stayed silent for a few moments. I took the oppurtuninty to rub my eyes tiredly and waited for him to respond.

"That's...interesting. Do you know why you would dream something like that?" I shook my head.

"I mean, I've been having a lot of dreams lately but most of them were just slightly manipulated memories of my sister and brother but nothing like that." I sighed and pushed my bangs away from my eyes.

"My dad always tells me that weird dreams are usually caused by exessive stress. Are you feeling stressed out?"

"Not really." He nodded and stretched his arm out above my head.

"Well, maybe we shouldn't over-analyze it."

"Yeah, it's no big deal." There was another knock on my door and Byuakuya stepped in before I had a chance to answer. He glanced at Ichigo, not looking happy about him laying on my bed.

"I'm going to go to the store, we're low on some stuff in the kitchen. Do you need anything?" I sat up and shook my head.

"No but do you mind if I go instead? I don't wanna lay around all day." He blinked and grabbed the doorknob.

"If you're feeling sick to your stomach, you should stay home."

"Please." He sighed and nodded.

"Fine, I'll go write out a list." I pushed off the blankets and stood. Ichigo got off the bed too and followed me into the sitting room again. I looked over at Kon and Kisa who were watching another movie.

"I'm gonna go to the store to get some stuff for Byuakuya, did you guys want to come?" Kon looked up at me and shook his head.

"Nah, I'll stay here." Kisa nodded in agreement.

"Okay, it shouldn't take long." I turned and looked up at Ichigo. "You coming?" He nodded and I led him down the stairs. We slipped our shoes on and headed out the door after getting the list and debit card from Byu. I handed Ichigo the keys. "You drive." He raised his eyebrows and smiled.

"You trust me with your car?" We stood outside the car, standing by our designated doors.

"Eh...I wouldn't call it trust." I smiled and opened my door before sliding in. I buckled up as Ichigo stuck the key in the ignition and turned on the car. He backed out of the drive way and headed towards the exit of the neighborhood.

"So, have you thought about what we're doing this weekend?" He glanced over at me as he turned out of the neighborhood, driving towards the supermarket.

"Even if I have, I wouldn't be telling you about it."

"That's what I thought." He smiled and glanced in the rearview mirror. He checked his blindspot and quickly changed lanes.

"I can tell you with confidence that it'll be more normal than your little gothic picnic."

"Sounds boring." I laughed and nodded.

"Yeah, it might seem boring compared to your little seance." Ichigo chuckled and glanced over at me.

"Can I make a suggestion?"

"Sure."

"Bring alcohol." His smile widened as he focused on the road.

"Yeah right, suggestion denied." He laughed and nodded.

"I figured."

"You're an alcoholic aren't you? What have I gotten myself into." Ichigo got into the turning lane and soon turned into the large entrance, leading us to the supermarket's parking lot.

"No, I was kidding. I've had enough drinking for a while." I furrowed my brow as Ichigo started looking for a good parking space. It was fairly crowded in the lot for it being almost five in the afternoon on a Saturday.

"What do you mean? Do you drink on a regular basis?" He looked over at me and shook his head. He turned back and found a spot, pulling into it quickly.

"No, the last time I drank was that night at Renji's. That was the worst hang over I've ever had so I decided to call it quits for a while." I nodded as he put the car in park and turned off the vehicle. We got out of the car and headed for the doors. I pulled out the list and handed Ichigo the debit card.

"Will you keep that in your wallet so I don't lose it?"

"Sure." He pulled out an old black wallet, put the card inside and slipped it back in his pocket. As we were walkiing towards the store Ichigo grabbed my hand tightly. I laced my fingers through his as we walked through the automatic sliding doors. I grabbed a shopping basket because our list was so short and headed for the first aisle.

"Is your stomach feeling any better?" Ichigo glanced down at me as I looked over the list.

"Yeah, it still hurts but I don't feel like I'm going to throw up or anything."

"That's good." He stopped when we reached the bread aisle. I grabbed a loaf of white bread and tossed it in the basket. After mentally checking it off the list I led Ichigo towards the next aisle. "Hey Rukia, do you have a middle name?" I smiled up at him.

"No, why? Are you going to try and give me one?" He laughed.

"Nope, just curious. What's your favorite color?"

"That would be yellow. Yours?" Again he stopped and held up a small bottle of salt questioningly. I nodded and he sat it in the basket.

"Red." We started walking toward the freezer aisles. "When's your birthday?"

"January 14th. When's yours?"

"July 15th." I raised my eyebrows.

"It's coming up." He smiled and nodded. I stopped and opened a freezer door to get a small container of butter. I glanced back at the list and sighed. "Crap, I forgot the rice." I noticed Ichigo staring at the end of the aisle and glanced in that direction. I didn't notice anything and continued. "I'll go grab it real quick. You get what's next on the list." I handed over the list and the basket before turning and back tracked to the previous aisle. I had just rounded a corner when I felt someone grab me around the waist, picking me up off the ground. I screamed, surprised, as the person yelled my name in a familiar voice.

"Rukia!" I glanced up to see an old friend from my previous high school laughing like crazy. He put me down, nearly dropping me.

"Grimmjow, you bastard!" I elbowed him in the stomach. "What the hell?" Ichigo walked up to us quickly. Grimmjow glanced up at him but didn't acknowledge him.

"I should be asking you the same thing. You just picked up and moved and didn't even tell me, what was that about?" I sighed and tried to think of a good excuse. Honestly, I didn't tell any of my friends about moving.

"I know, sorry. It was just something I never got around to it, I only knew about moving like four days before we actually left our house."

"And you couldn't have texted me or something?" I smiled and shrugged.

"I guess I could've." He grinned and rolled his eyes. I glanced back at Ichigo and then turned back to Grimmjow. "Ichigo this is my friend Grimmjow, he went to my old school. Grimmjow, this is Ichigo."

"Hey." Ichigo had a neutral expression on his face and didn't seem too happy. Grimmjow smiled at him and nodded.

"Hey. You go to Rukia's new school?" Ichigo nodded. "Where exactly is that?" He had turned to me.

"Karakura High." He nodded and turned his gaze back to Ichigo.

"Are you Rukia's boyfriend?" I blinked, surprised by his blunt question and a little confused why he woudn't ask me. Ichigo shrugged, not looking down at me.

"Kinda." Grimmjow's eyebrows turned down, a puzzled look crossing his features.

"Kinda? You're not...hitting it and quitting it with Rukia are you?" My eyes widened and I felt myself blush.

"Oh my God, Grimmjow! What kind of question is that?" He laughed and shrugged it off.

"What was I supposed to think? He's only 'kinda' your boyfriend." Ichigo glared at him, obviously not finding it amusing.

"We just started going out, that's why he said that. You're an idiot." I sighed and rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache starting to form behind my temples.

"What are you doing today?"

"After grocery shopping? We're just going back home, a few other friends are at the house."

"Do you wanna hang out?" I glanced back at Ichigo who looked ready to leave or at least get away from Grimmjow.

"Yeah, sure. If you want you can come over for dinner."

"Sweet, just text me your address. Is it near by? I should be able to find it."

"Yeah, it's not far. I don't have my phone, do you have a pen?" He dug in his pockets and pulled out a sharpie. I quickly wrote my address on the back of his hand and handed the marker over. "What time is it?" He glanced at his phone before answering.

"5:23"

"Okay, we'll probably eat around six or six-thirty." He grinned down at me and gave me a tight hug.

"Awesome, I'll see you then. Bye." He pulled away and waved at both Ichigo and I.

"Bye." After Grimmjow was gone, I turned to Ichigo. "Are you okay?" Now he looked pissed and I couldn't keep a look of concern from forming on my face.

"I don't like that guy." I smiled and grabbed his hand, walking towards my earlier destination.

"Why?" Ichigo shook his head and tightened his grip on my hand.

"I dunno, I just don't. Did you guys use to date or something?" I wrinkled up my nose.

"No, why do you ask?"

"He just acted weird, I don't know." I stopped in the first aisle and grabbed a bag of rice.

"Are you going to stay for dinner?" He smiled down at me and shrugged.

"If you want me to, I guess I will."

"I do."

"Then I guess I have no other choice, do I?" I grinned up at him as he led me towards another aisle. We continued shopping and got all the items in no time. It was only fifteen til six when we were checking out. We carried the three bags out to the car and sat them in the backseat before sliding into the vehicle. Ichigo started the car and pulled his buckle around him before clicking it securely.

"Can I ask you something?" Ichigo glanced over at me while he was pulling out of the parking space.

"Sure."

"How many boyfriends have you had?" I laughed at the direction of conversation.

"Boyfriends or fuck buddies?" He smiled but tried to keep a serious look on his face.

"If that's a serious question I'm gonna have to dump you." Again a loud laugh escaped my throat.

"Calm down, it was a joke. I've had two boyfriends."

"How long did they last?" I thought back to my freshman and sophomore years, recalling the relationships.

"The first one lasted only like two months. The other one lasted like ten or eleven months." Ichigo's eyes widened noticeably. "What?"

"That's a long time." I smiled and shrugged.

"I'm not a horny teenage boy, Ichigo. If I start a relationship it's because I hope it'll last longer than it takes to get into a guys pants."

"That's still a long time."

"Does that make you nervous?" He shook his head.

"No, I think it's pretty good news."

"Why do you say that?" He flipped on his signal and slid into the right lane safely.

"Well, if you can't tell, I like you a lot Rukia. And I would love to spend eleven months with you." He checked his mirrors as he tried to gauge my reaction. I smiled before speaking.

"How many girlfriends have you had?" He sighed, not sounding as enthused to discuss himself.

"Girlfriends or fuck buddies?" My smile widened and I rolled my eyes but when I turned back to him, he had an unpleasant look on his face. My face fell and I was a little surprised.

"You're being serious." Again he sighed before glancing over at me.

"I swear, it was one time and I was drunk."

"Okay, then I guess my answer to your question is both."

"I've had five girlfriends and I hooked up with one girl." A small smile tugged at my lips, I was still pleased with his honesty.

"How long did they last?"

"None lasted more than six weeks." I laughed and shook my head.

"Well aren't you a keeper?" I nudged him to let him know that I was teasing. "I wouldn't tell your buddy, Byuakuya that you're not a virgin. He might kill you. That or never let me talk to you again." Ichigo's eyebrows turned down; he looked confused.

"You're a virgin?"

"Yeah, you thought I wasn't?" He shrugged as he turned into my neighborhood.

"Well, you said you were with some guy for eleven months. I just thought..." He didn't bother finishing his sentence.

"You thought that just because we were together for eleven months, we must have had sex?" He nodded causing me to chuckle. "If you stick around for eleven months, you'll find out that that's not always the case." Ichigo smiled down at me and pulled into my drive way. After shutting off the car he turned to me pushed some hair out of my face.

"I dunno about that, I'm quite charming." I grinned and shrugged.

"I think I can withstand your charm." I pushed his hand away from my hair and continued. "What about you? Did you have sex with your girlfriends or just that whore?" He laughed before answering.

"I had sex with two of my ex-girlfriends, not counting the whore." I nodded.

"Do I know any of your ex-girlfriends?" A contemplative expression crossed his features as he thought about my question.

"Do you know Mahana?" The name sounded familiar and after a few moments I realized who he was talking about.

"The girl who slept with Renji a few days ago?" He nodded. "Was she the whore? Didn't she date Hisagi too?" Again he nodded and I laughed.

"Surprisingly no, she's not the whore. She just gets around."

"Sounds like a whore." I let out another chuckle. "You slept with her, didn't you?"

"Shut up, it's not funny." Ichigo smiled and shoved me. "You're a jerk." He pushed open his door and got out. I did the same and dug in the back, grabbing the few bags. We walked inside and I dropped the bags on the table. Byuakuya was standing by the sink and turned on the dishwasher.

"Hey guys."

"Hey, Byu. Is it okay if Ichigo and Kon stay for dinner?" He nodded and started putting the groceries away. I grabbed the container of butter and stuck it in the fridge. "Oh and I ran into Grimmjow at the store. It's okay if he comes over for dinner too, right?" Byuakuya looked up at Ichigo and then back at me.

"Who?"

"Grimmjow, he went to my other school."

"Oh, yeah, that's fine. So that makes six people?" I nodded and put the last of the groceries away. I turned towards the stairs.

"Are Kon and Kisa still upstairs?"

"Yeah, they fell asleep so I turned off the television."

"Okay, I'm gonna go check on them." Ichigo followed me up the stairs and into the sitting room. Kon was laying on his back on the couch, his feet stretched over the arm, and Kisa was laying at his side. Her head was on his shoulder and she was airsnoring quietly. I heard Ichigo laugh behind me. He walked around me and approached the couch. "Leave them alone, Ichigo." He smiled up at me and shook his head. "Ichigo, stop." He ignored me and moved closer to them. He walked over to the end of the couch and grabbed Kon's ankles. Ichigo tugged Kon's legs quickly, pulling him towards himself. Kisa slid off the couch, her eyes opening in surprise instantly, and Kon, in his half-concious state, sat up. This caused him to fall over the edge, landing directly on top of Kisa. Ichigo was laughing hysterically as I advanced them. Kon glared up at him, still not completely aware of his surroundings.

"What the hell is your problem?" His tone gave away his fatigue and frustration. Kisa hit Kon's back with the palm of her hand, also frustrated.

"Get off me, Kon." He hesitated and looked back at her, earning him a weak punch to his arm. Kon smiled and stood with the help of Ichigo. Again he turned towards her and held out his hand.

She took it and got off the floor, glaring at Ichigo.

"Sorry, are you okay? I only meant to get Kon." She sighed tiredly and nodded. I took another step closer, getting their attention.

"I think dinner is in the oven, we should head downstairs."

"Dinner? Sweet." Kon said earning a nod from Ichigo. He started for the door and we all followed behind him, Kisa only a step behind him. In the hallway he started peaking in doors until he found the restroom, where he washed his hands, humming to himself. I smiled as we all lined up behind him. I rested my head against Ichigo's arm as we waited for Kon and Kisa to finish. Ichigo glanced down at me, a look of concern on his face.

"Do you feel okay?" I nodded and stepped closer to the sink.

"Yeah, I'm just sort of tired." Ichigo didn't respond as we both washed our hands quickly. Once we were all done, we headed downstairs where we met up with Byuakuya and Grimmjow. They were standing near the door and I figured he had just gotten there. I approached them first and started with introductions.

"Hey Grimmjow, these are a few friends from school." I gestured towards them as I spoke. "That's Kon and Kisa. This is Grimmjow, he went to my old school. We ran into him at the store and he sorta invited himself over so," I shrugged off the end of the sentence as Grimmjow nudged me.

"Shut up, you little liar." I smiled as Byuakuya headed for the kitchen. We followed him and I sat at the table. Everyone else did the same, Ichigo sitting to my right and Grimmjow to my left. "Man I haven't seen you in forever, Byu. The last time I saw you was when Rukia and I had that home ec. project." Byuakuya turned to the table from the oven smiling. I grinned at the memory.

"Oh yeah! Hisana was trying to help us make some sort of casserole and she let it burn." Her face came to mind, her features etched with guilt. She felt so bad for "ruining" our work. Grimmjow laughed and nodded.

"That was great. Was she the cook or what? If so, I feel really bad for you guys." Byuakuya laughed and shook his head. I turned to Ichigo, who turned from my brother to me.

"Remember I told you Hisana and Byuakuya met in a cooking class?" Ichigo nodded, now smiling. I turned towards 'Yuakuya, now talking to everyone. "She failed with an unbelievably low score and that's why Byuakuya was almost always the one to make dinner." Kon laughed and rested his elbows on the table, sitting across from Ichigo.

"Can you cook?" His question, directed at me, was pretty amusing.

"Pfft, no, I never even tried to learn. I think it runs in my family, I don't remember many wholesome family meals with my parents. My mom mostly made food from cans, if she even made dinner." I heard Byuakuya laugh from the oven. He was standing by the counter, checking the food every few minutes.

"Do you remember that one new years when your mother invited me over and she tried to boil a turkey whole?" A loud laugh escaped my throat as I recollected the memory. I could see it now, the water overflowing from the pot, tall flames licking the stove top.

"Honestly, I think that was Sana's idea." My brother grinned and nodded, he looked so happy. I was glad to see him like that.

A sudden realization hit me, one that hit me a lot. When I looked over at Byuakuya I half expected to see Hisana standing at his side, laughing at her lack of cooking skills, making Byu smile so happily. A sigh escaped my lips when I realized that she wasn't there and that she wouldn't be there, ever again. Something heavy resided in my chest and I felt like crying but I pushed it aside. I felt Ichigo's hand on my back, a look of understanding crossing his features. A small smile graced my lips and I was glad that he did understand how I felt, it was comforting. The oven beeped and Byuakuya quickly retrieved the baked dish. He approached the table and sat the glass pan on two pot holders that were strategically placed on the table. I stood and got everyone a plate before sitting them in front of each individual. After we all got something to drink, Byu and I sat down, letting our guests get their food first.

"Damn, this smells good. So, I'm guessing Byuakuya can cook." Kon was shoveling the rice and chicken blend on his plate while glance between me and my brother. I smiled and nodded, wondering how often his mother made him a hot dinner. My guess was rarely, if ever.

"Needless to say, I passed the cooking class." Kon grinned and handed the ladle to Kisa.

"I can see that. Thanks for dinner, Byuakuya."

"You're welcome." He smiled at Kon and laid his hands in his lap patiently. Grimmjow turned towards Byu as we waited for the large spoon.

"So how's work? Are you at the same law firm even though you moved?"

"Yes, it's a longer commute now but I like this neighborhood better." Grimmjow nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, this one is like twice as nice as your old one and probably a lot safer. It just sucks that Rukia had to switch schools." He glanced over at me accusingly, obviously teasing. I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"I tried to find a house in the same district but I really liked this place and I wanted to move as soon as possible."

"Why did you move? Was it just a personal thing?" A serious expression now rested on Grimmjow's face and I knew he understood how deeply hurt we both were by Hisana's death. It was a different understanding, it wasn't like Ichigo's who knew that hurt for himself. Grimmjow had known Hisana pretty well and he knew how close both Byuakuya and I were with her.

"I don't think either of us could have stayed in that house without getting stuck in a rut. I know I wouldn't have been able to." Byuakuya sighed and pushed his hair behind his shoulder absently. "I couldn't even go in our room anymore." He was staring ahead of himself blankly. Grimmjow patted his shoulder, smiling at him happily.

"It's okay, Byu, I forgive you for taking her away." My brother smiled and glanced at me quickly. I returned the gesture as Ichigo handed me the ladle. I spooned some of the hot food on the plate. I handed it over to Grimmjow and took a few bites. The spoon got passes along and as Byuakuya handed it to Kisa, he turned to her.

"Did you have fun yesterday at...Michiru? Is that the girl's name?" Kon nodded in response and Kisa simply nodded. She didn't meet his eyes, she didn't even turn her head towards him. She was still uncomfortable with him and my mind went back to her first night at our house when she had asked if he would go into her room. I felt uneasy at the thought of what might have happened to her but I knew Byuakuya was already attached to her, which made me feel a little better. I hoped she would get more comfortable with him, a friendship between the two could be very healing for both of them. Byuakuya simply smiled at her lack of conversation and nodded. "Good, I'm glad." I took another bite of my dinner as Kon's phone when off in his pocket. He pulled it out and apologized to my brother as he flipped it open. The sound of an angry screaming man projected from the cell phone the instant he answered the call and I heard Ichigo sigh. Kon's expression had gone neutral and he sat his fork down as he listened to who I guessed was his father.

"Okay, we'll be home in about ten minutes." His eyes went to Ichigo apologetically but Ichigo shook his head, dismissing it. I'm sure Ichigo was used to Kon's father's behavior and attitude.

"Okay, sorry Dad. Yeah, I'll tell him. Bye." He hesitated before hanging up and stood. Ichigo did the same, slightly pushing his plate away from him. Kon turned to Byu and frowned.

"I'm really sorry I interupted dinner but my dad wants me home." A concerned expression was now on Byuakuya's face.

"It's fine, I'm glad you guys could come over. It was really nice meeting you Kon, you're welcome back." Kon smiled, walking over towards Byuakuya. Kon leaned over and gave him a quick hug before standing again. "Thanks for letting me come over and for dinner." Byu blinked, looking surprised but soon smiled up at him, I grinned at his cute child-like behavior. Kon turned to Kisa and leaned over to kiss her on the cheek.

"Bye Kisa, see you Monday." She nodded and glanced up at him.

"Bye." I stood and led them to the door after they said their own, impersonal goodbyes to Grimmjow. I followed them out to Ichigo's truck, leaning against the drivers door after they had gotten into the vehicle. Ichigo's window was down but I had to stand on the built in step to be able to see them.

"Bye you guys, I'll see you tomorrow. Text me when you get home, Kon." He smiled and nodded at me.

"Okay." Ichigo turned towards me as he turned the key in the ignition.

"I'm calling you tomorrow so answer your phone." I laughed as my eyebrows turned down.

"Why wouldn't I?"

"I dunno, I wasn't sure if you were going to be pissed at me tomorrow or not." I smiled and shrugged.

"Oh right, I'm not sure either."

"Ha ha. You better answer or I'll take it as a sign that you're dead or dying and have to come over." I feigned disgust.

"Oh no, I better answer my phone then." He smiled and pushed some of my hair behind my shoulder.

"I'll talk to you tomorrow, bye Rukia." I smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Bye." I stepped off the truck and advanced towards the garage door. Ichigo backed out of the drive way and left. I turned back and headed back towards the house. This time my thoughts weren't on Ichigo, like after our date. I was more concerned about Kon and how angry his father sounded. An unnerving feeling came over me as I made my way to the kitchen and I hoped everything would be okay.

-:-

**Okay, here it is! A little uneventful, a little weird, a little funny! Hope you enjoyed. This chapter was one that wasn't really planned. I just got to this point and was like...crap what now? lol I've got some ideas for the next one but I'll probably be writing more on the weekends and if I'm busy it might start taking me like two weeks to get a chapter this long done. Anyway please review and let me know how you felt about it! :D **


	11. Chapter 11

**So here I am, I have no idea when I'll finish and be able to post it but it might be a lot like the last chapter. :( that makes me sad. Anyway, here we are! Chapter 11! R&R :P**

-:-

The rest of the night was a little blurry. I continued to get distracted with my concern with Kon and I think Kisa was the same way. Grimmjow commented on how quiet I was but I vaguely explained why. He said he understood and didn't stay after dinner. I felt sort of bad for acting that way after not seeing him for so long but he was able to catch up with Byuakuya. When Grimmjow left we made plans to hang out again and he hugged me tightly, picking me up off the ground. After he left Kisa, Byuakuya, and I sat at the table quietly. We finally got up and cleared the table before separating. Kisa curled up on her bed with the lights off after reminding me that her brother would be over early tomorrow morning. Byuakuya checked on me, making sure I wasn't sick to my stomach, before heading towards his office. I went to my room and got in bed too. I had my phone in my hand and the lights off as I waited for Kon's text. It was only 8:23 when I glanced at the clock but I didn't think I could focus to get anything else done.

That night I had a twisted version of my earlier dream again. I woke up at least four times that night because after I had dreamt the new nightmare, I felt nervous and sick. It kept me from sleeping the rest of the night and I ended up getting up at 6:30 Sunday morning. When I did get up, I checked my phone to find that Kon still hadn't texted me. I was starting to feel extremely nervous about his situation and once Kisa was awake we made plans to go see him. She sat across the table from me as we ate cereal quietly. She was probably thinking the same things I was.

"You don't look so well, didn't you get enough sleep?" Her voice was quiet and I could tell she wasn't a morning person. Her hair was disheveled in big clumps and knots and her eyes were sleepy and unfocused.

"Not really. I woke up a million times last night and ended up getting out of bed at like six this morning." Her eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Wow, do you know why you couldn't sleep?"

"I just had a bad dream and after that I just couldn't stay asleep for very long." She nodded and took a bite of her breakfast.

"Was it the same dream from yesterday afternoon?" I nodded as Byuakuya came into the kitchen. His feet were shuffling and he was wearing the same pajamas from the day before. I smiled up at him as he greeted us tiredly.

"Morning you two."

"Good morning." Kisa's voice was softer than before and she put up her defensive walls.

"Morning, 'Yuakuya. Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, I stayed up late doing work but I slept all through the night." I nodded and finished the last of my cereal before sitting my dishes in the sink.

"That's good." I rinsed off the bowl and turned off the faucet. Byu sat down next to Kisa and laid his head on the table, his arms also resting on the table. I smiled and sighed. "Stop it, you're making me tired." He yawned and apologized. "So, me and Kisa were talking and I think we're going to go see Kon this morning. He hasn't texted either of us and I'm worried about him." Byuakuya sat his head up and nodded.

"Okay, that's fine. Just be careful, if that man is as dangerous as he sounds, I don't want either of you going into that house okay? Get Ichigo and his father if you have to."

"I really don't think there's going to be any trouble this morning. If something happened last night, Ichigo and his dad probably heard it and helped Kon already. I'm just scared he's hurt." Kisa nodded absently in agreement. Byu turned to her and laid a hand on her arm.

"Is Kon your boyfriend?" She blinked and glanced up at me before shrugging. Byuakuya laughed and patted her head before pushing her messy hair out of her face. "You guys just be careful." Kisa nodded again and stood. She put her dishes in the sink and we headed upstairs. I got ready quickly, donning another pair of jeans and a tank top. The weather was supposed to be warmer outside so I slid on sandels and headed back down the stairs. Kisa was already on the couch waiting for me. She was wearing jeans and tshirt, looking more comfortably dressed than I'd ever seen her. She usually wore skirts or dresses.

We piled into the car and headed for his house. She texted him at breakfast and still recieved no response so I suggested she called him. After dialing his number she hit the speaker button and we listened as our call went unanswered. I quickly turned out of the neighborhood and pushed the speed limit as we headed for his house. When we reached his street I pulled into Ichigo's drive way, behind his truck, and killed the engine. I was feeling extremely anxious when I didn't see a vehicle in front of Kon's house. I hoped that was a good sign but I wasn't sure what to make of it so both Kisa and I headed for the door together.

When we reached the door, first I knocked loudly a few times and stopped. We listened for anything to tell us that someone was home but there was nothing. No footsteps were rushing for the door, there were no voices or sounds at all. Kisa joined me as we knocked together and again waited but still there was only silence. By the third knock we were pounding with our fists and I was sure something had gone wrong. I couldn't take it anymore and reached for the door, though I figured it was locked. When the handle turned freely in my hand, Kisa and I glanced at each other. Without another thought, I opened the door, pushing it open.

The living room was dark, all the lights in the house were off. The room looked trashed and a couch was actually turned over. That scared me, it seemed like a sign that something was wrong. I took another step into the room while Kisa stayed in the doorway. As I got further into the house I felt more concerned for my own safety. I had no idea if Kon's parents were home but I had to find out if he was okay. There was a lamp on the floor at my feet and I saw the broken glass from the bulb on the ground. I glanced at the kitchen and saw the once white counter turning a dark yellow and grey color. The house obviously hadn't been cleaned in months and their was actually a little bag of what looked like cocaine sitting on an end table. I felt my nerves getting the best of me, I was so scared of finding his parents but I willed myself to continue into the large living room. After a few more steps I glanced down the hall and saw a few piles of dirty laundry but that was all.

I thought there was no way I could make myself go down the hall and look for his room but I pushed the fear aside and finally passed the turned over couch. I was slowly taking quiet steps towards the kitchen but two paces away from the kitchen's tile I felt something under my shoe. I glanced down and saw someone's hand under my sandel. I jumped back and inhaled quickly. My attention turned towards the person laying behind the piece of furniture and once I realized it was Kon, that panic built up in me again. I knelt down next to him and shook his shoulder.

"Kon! Kon? Get up, Kon!" I pushed his hair out of his face and noticed a small puddle of blood coming from his head."Oh my God, Kon please get up." Kisa was approaching us quickly. Her eyes widened when she looked down at Kon. He was bruised all over his arms and face and it looked like he had been lacerated on his arm. "Kisa, go get Ichigo and his dad. Don't even knock just go into the house and hurry." She nodded and took a step backward, her eyes still fixed on Kon. "Hurry, Kisa." Without a word she turned and ran out of the room. I turned back to Kon checked to make sure he was breathing. He was but the rise and fall of his chest looked pitiful. I continued shaking him but tried not to move him too much.

"Please get up Kon, please." I pushed his hair out of his eyes as tears built up in my own. That's when I noticed a rather large spot of blood that seemed to be coming from his midsection. I reached down and lifted his tshirt to see if he had a cut on his back but there were only bruises. It must've been on his stomach. I hoped the pressure of his body weight would be enough until Isshin could take care of him. "Kon, can you hear me? Open your eyes, answer me, Kon." Again I was starting to feel panic as tears slid down my face.

"He's not going to answer you." I turned quickly and saw a tall man standing in the kitchen. His hair was dark and nearly identical to Kon's. His features were also similar to Kon's but his were sharper, harsher looking. He had a grin on his face and his shirt was stained with random splotches of blood. My eyes widened and my heart started racing as his eyes went to a small carving knife that was sitting on the counter in his reach. "So you think it's okay to enter a person's house without permission? You could get into trouble for that." I stood and quickly stepped back. He was already standing so close to me, I had to put distance between us. He took another step closer to me and before I could get any further away he grabbed my upper arm and pulled me closer to him. I struggled to get away from him but he dragged me further into the kitchen. "Where do you think you're going? You wanted in so bad, that was you banging on the door wasn't it? Well now you're here."

"Let me go, someone's already went after Isshin. They'll be here any second so just let me go!" He glared and shoved me back, pushing me into the counter. His hands balled into fists and he swung, hitting me in jaw. Pain surged through me, and a memory of my father flashed into my head. I brought my hand to my face and cringed away from Kon's dad.

"You fucking bitch! That fucking doctor needs to mind his own goddamned business! Kon is my son and I'll raise him however I please!" I felt hate rise up in my chest, I was disgusted with this man's attitude.

"Beating Kon isn't raising him, he'd be better off being neglected by you, you bastard." It was hard to talk but I was able to get the words out. Again he swung his fist at me, I was only fueling his anger.

"You stupid bitch! Keep your mouth shut! You have no idea-" He was cut off by the sound of shuffling feet as Isshin, Ichigo, and Kisa came rushing in with medical equipment. I turned towards them but tried to focus on the man, scared he might do further damage. Isshin stood in shock, looking surprised to see me and Kon's father. Kisa looked terrified, I couldn't imagine what sort of psychological damage this would do to her and I hated myself for dragging her there in the first place. When I looked at Ichigo he was fuming, rage clear on his face. He was the first one to approach us and before he reached the kitchen, Kon's father grabbed my arm again.

"Let her go you son of a bitch!" When Ichigo reached the man, he shoved him back, knocking him into the fridge. Kon's father dragged me with him, his grip never wavering.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" Isshin kneeled down next to Kon, letting Ichigo deal with Kon's dad, and ignored his demands. "Get away from him! That stupid little shit deserved what he got and if I don't want him to see a doctor he won't!" Isshin continued to ignore him and started asking Kisa to help him. The man's grip tightened on my arm noticeably and he shoved Ichigo back before reaching over to grab the carving knife off the counter. I felt panic rise in my stomach and I tried to pull away from him. "Stop it you bitch!" He pushed me back against the counter again and stepped in front of me, his back blocking me from Ichigo. "Get your dad away from my son and I'll let your friend go." He held the knife up as he spoke to Ichigo.

"My dad is taking care of Kon, you have no reason to bring Rukia into this. Let her go." He was speaking through his teeth and his fists were clenched at his sides. "You should know that we already called the police, Kaede." The man stiffened in front of me and shifted back a step, wedging me further between the counter and fridge. At that point I couldn't see anything but Kaede's back and I wondered what was going on as silence filled the space between Kon's father and Ichigo. Suddenly Kaede pulled his arm back swiftly, jamming his elbow into my nose before turning and grabbing the collar of my shirt. My hand went to my nose but I felt Ichigo's arms wrap around my waist. He pulled me away from Kon's dad and stood in front of me. I let out a quiet sigh of relief, happy to be away from the crazed man but when I pulled my hand away from my nose, it was filled with blood. Ichigo grabbed Kaede by the wrist, knocked the small knife out of his hand and punched him in his face.

"Keep your fucking hands off of her, you useless piece of shit!" Ichigo shoved him back again, causing him to fall to the floor, holding the side of his face. "Stay there until the police get here." His tone was sharp and angry as he yelled at the man, acting like he was a child. Ichigo turned and grabbed my upper arm, pulling me towards Kon and Isshin. I stood by the turned over couch holding my bleeding nose as Ichigo kneeled down next to his father to help Kon. Kisa sat on his other side, lightly clutching onto Kon's wrist and hand. She glanced up at me, still looking terrified. From outside came the sound of a car but there were no sirens telling us it was the police or ambulance. After the car was turned off, someone got out and headed in the direction of the house. Ichigo and I glanced up to see a tall skinny woman with long dark hair that curled down to her lower back. Her eyes were bloodshot and there were tired lines under them. I knew she was Kon's mother and I figured at one point in her life she was considered beautiful but the drugs had done horrible things to her.

"Naomi-" Kaede spoke but was cut off.

"What the fuck happened?" Her voice sounded hoarse and she looked on edge. She approached the couch and I stepped closer to Ichigo, unsure of how she would act. Ichigo stood and addressed her.

"Kaede happened. That asshole beat the shit out of Kon but what's new? I called the fucking police and if I can help it, Kon won't spend another night here." The woman's eyebrows turned down and she shook her head.

"You can't take him away from me, this isn't my fault!"

"You let this shit happen all the time, Naomi! You've hit Kon plenty of times and I'm sick of it. I don't care what the police say, he's staying at our house once he's feeling better." Kon's mother glared and turned on Kaede.

"You stupid bastard! This is all your fault!" She approached him, stomping angrily. She swung her leg, kicking him in the side. "I'll fucking kill you!" Ichigo turned towards them and folded his arms.

"Stop it! Both of you stay over there until the police arrive and keep your fucking mouths shut." Isshin looked up at Ichigo.

"I'm ready to put him on the gurney." Ichigo took a step over Kon and kneeled down next to Kisa. Isshin sat the flat board down next to Kon and they both carefully lifted him onto it, turning him onto his back. Isshin secured these straps around Kon's ankles, waist, and chest. They didn't try lifting the gurney and I assumed they were waiting for the ambulance. Isshin turned to me, his eyebrows turned down.

"Do you want me to look at your nose?" I shook my head, in too much pain to say anything. He stood and pulled a thick white clothe out of his black doctor's bag and handed it to me. I gladly covered my nose with it and leaned back against the couch, feeling dizzy. The police finally arrived, their sirens blaring from outside. Within a minute or two, EMTs were running into the room, a stretcher being dragged in behind them. Isshin and Ichigo helped them lift Kon from the floor to the stretcher and the EMTs fastened the gurney tightly. Isshin started informing them of his injuries and what they needed to do, while he walked with them outside. Ichigo came up to me and rested a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay?" A frown crossed his features but I nodded, trying to reassure him. Both sides of my mouth and jaw felt swollen and I didn't even try voicing my thoughts. His hand went to the left side of my jaw and I flinched a little, I figured my face would be bruised in a few hours and I hoped my nose wasn't broken. "Sorry." I shook my head as an EMT approached us.

"What happened?" Ichigo glanced down at me but quickly filled the man in.

"She was hit a few times by Kaede, that man over there. I didn't see all of it but her nose may be broken." The EMT nodded and started leading me outside towards the ambulance.

"We don't want to keep the boy from a hospital very long so you can ride in the back and I'll check out your nose. Where were you hit?" Ichigo had followed us with Kisa who was a step behind him, holding onto his arm. Instead of answering, I pointed to both sides of my mouth. "Are you able to move your jaw?" I was a little scared to try but I opened my mouth slightly as pain surged from my jaw to the top of my head. I nodded and rubbed the side of my mouth with my hand. The man turned to Ichigo. "I'm going to take her in the ambulance with Kon and your father. The police will probably need a report, do you think you can do that?" Ichigo nodded and glanced up at his dad who was talking to a semi-consious Kon. The EMT helped me into the ambulance and shut the door as we headed off towards the hospital.

Isshin sat with me and let the paramedics do their jobs. He only helped if they asked for it and most of the time he was supervising the man who checked my nose. According to them it wasn't broken, but it would probably hurt for a while. My mouth hadn't swollen as much as I thought it had but Isshin said he'd have to realign my jaw when we got to the hospital. My nose stopped bleeding before we got to the hospital and Kon was now almost fully awake. He glanced over at me, looking dazed but didn't say anything.

When we reached the hospital the paramedics took Kon to the Intensive Care Unit and left Isshin and I in the waiting room. A nurse said she would take us to an examination room as soon as one opened so Isshin could treat my injuries but Isshin denied her offer, telling her he could do it there. I felt fear rise up in my throat as he turned towards me and explained what he was going to do. He smiled sympathetically and reassured me.

"I'll be honest, it's going to hurt but after the pain goes away, you should be able to talk again. I promise I'll do it as quickly as I can but you can't move, alright?" I nodded and he told me to sit down. He kneeled down in front of me, putting practically no space between us and rested his elbows on the arm of the chair. His hands went to my face and I closed my eyes tightly. I held my breath and after a few intense moments of waiting, Isshin adjusted the placement of my jaw, shoving it into place. Pain, more intense than the pain of getting punched, corsed up and down the sides of my mouth and I covered my face with my hands. It felt like someone had beaten down on my cheeks with a hammer and I had to grind my teeth together to keep myself from screaming. Isshin pulled my hands away as my eyes started watering. "Give it a few minutes, it should start to feel better." The pain did fade slightly and I was finally able to talk again.

"You have no idea how much I hate you right now." Isshin laughed and gave me a light hug.

"I'm sorry, but it was necessary." He pulled away and stood. "I'll go get you some ice and strong painkillers, okay?" I nodded and wiped away the ache-induced tears. He left to ask the nurse where he could find some ice and I sat there, now worried about Kon. I guess it was a good sign that he was consious but still, his head injury could'be been serious. It was all serious and I couldn't keep myself from wondering about what sort of physical issues his dad had caused.

"Rukia?" I looked up to see a frantic and worried Byuakuya. I sighed, wondering who had called him.

"Hey, Byu." He approached me quickly, kneeling in front of my and hugging me tightly.

"Oh my God, are you okay? What happened?"

"Kon's dad was there and-" I shook my head, cutting myself off. I still couldn't believe someone could do such a thing to their own son. Byuakuya pulled back, still gripping my arms.

"What the hell did that son of a bitch do to you?" I blinked, honestly shocked to hear that sort of thing coming out of my brother's mouth.

"Don't worry about it, I'm fine and if the police know what they're doing, they'll arrest him." Byuakuya still looked pissed and he pulled me from my chair abruptly. We sat in a two seater and he laid his arm over me. I rested my head against his shoulder as he scolded me.

"I told you not to go in the house, Rukia." I sighed.

"I know, but...I knew Kon was in there and I had to go inside."

"Why didn't you go to Ichigo's house?"

"We did, I stayed with Kon while Kisa got Isshin and Ichigo. Look, I'm fine really. Isshin already readjusted my jaw and they said my nose isn't broken. I'll be okay." Byuakuya sighed and tightened his grip on me. I stared off, trying to distract myself from my own pain and the nagging concern for Kon. I glanced up as Ichigo and Kisa were approaching us from the main entrance. Kisa had a tight grip on Ichigo's hand and I almost smiled at the site but I didn't. I was really concerned about her and scared this might set her back mentally. If Kon's father made me think of my own, I couldn't imagine what sort of memories were flooding her mind. When they reached us, Kisa pulled away from Ichigo and sat in the chair next to Byuakuya. He glanced down at her, obviously worried.

"Are you alright? Were you hurt at all?" Byu laid his hand on her shoulder. She shook her head and glanced over at me while Ichigo asked how I was feeling. I turned my attention to him and shrugged.

"Your dad fixed my jaw but it still hurts pretty bad. I'll be fine, though." He nodded and sat on the ground next to my chair.

"Good, and now you can at least talk again." I smiled and nodded.

"Score!" Ichigo laughed and shook his head as Isshin came back with a bag of ice. He had wrapped it in paper towel and handed it over to me. He also gave me two small white pills and held a cup of water.

"Here you go, this should help dull the pain." I laid the ice in my lap, sat up and took the water from him, glad to have some pain killers. Isshin took the pixie cup from me once I had finished and I thanked him before holding the ice up to my left cheek. "So, Doctor Tanaka told me that they're taking Kon in for a cat scan and that's really the only thing he's worried about. He said there was serious internal bleeding and the cut on his chest was minor. As long as there isn't any major head trauma, he should be okay." Ichigo sighed, relieved to hear the good news.

"Good, did Kon come around at all?"

"Yeah, he talked to me for a little while but then he stopped answering my question. He knew who I was and he could recognize Rukia so I don't think there's anything wrong with his memory. I'm just worried about things like a possible concussion." I moved the ice in my hand to the opposite cheek and leaned back against Byuakuya. We all got comfortable and prepared ourselves to wait a while. Byu had mentioned Kisa's brother arriving at home but said he had to leave as soon as Yoshiki and Mai made it to the house. After a while he called them and let them know how to get there so they could come see Kisa but by the time they made it to the waiting room Kisa was asleep, curled up to Byuakuya. Her head was on his arm and both her hands were holding onto his wrist. I was starting to feel pretty tired myself from the medicine but I tried to keep my eyes open long enough to see Kon. Isshin noticed me fighting sleep.

"Rukia, if you need to sleep, I can get you a room. You shouldn't put a lot of pressure on your jaw like that." He was talking about how I was resting my face against Byu's open arm with the ice on my the other side of my face. I sat up and sighed tiredly.

"No thanks, I'm fine." Byuakuya looked down at me.

"If you need to, go lay down." I just shook my head and continued to lean my weight against my brother.

We waited for a total of three hours before Kon's cat scan results were ready and he was treated and awake. During those three hours, Byuakuya had gotten to know Kisa's brother and soon to be sister-in-law more and filled them in on the situation with Kon. Ichigo talked to his dad mostly, asking about Kon and telling him about Kaede's arrest. He asked me a few times if I was feeling any better and tried to strike up a conversation with me but I was too tired and couldn't really focus. At some point I did fall asleep but only for like twenty minutes. Finally after waiting for so long, the doctor came out and told us we could go see him. Isshin stood and so did Ichigo. Ichigo looked down at me and held out his hand to me. I stood, grabbing his hand but turned to Kisa.

"Should we wake her up?" Ichigo nodded and approached her, nudging her shoulder.

"Kisa, get up." She sat up quickly and looked up at him, blinking. "Come on, we can go see Kon now." Kisa hesitated and shook her head.

"I'll wait out here." I frowned down at her.

"Why? I'm sure he wants you in there." She simply shook her head again and leaned back against 'Yuakuya. "Are you sure?" She nodded and closed her eyes again. The three of us continued without her and I felt a little out of place once we reached the room. It really was between Kon, Isshin, and Ichigo. Kon was practically their family and I should've let them have a few minutes alone with him but when I asked Ichigo he said, "Don't be ridiculous, Kon will wanna see you."

When we entered the room Kon was sitting up, resting back against a pillow and staring off. He looked miserable and all his bruises had darkened a shade of redish-purple. There was a white bandage wrapped around his head, covering his forehead, and he now donned a blue hospital gown. When his eyes met Ichigo's his eyebrows turned down as he frowned. His eyes started watering and Ichigo let go of my hand to quickly approach the bed. Ichigo wrapped his arms around Kon and Kon laid his head on Ichigo's shoulder, crying loudly. I felt a frown form on my own face as Kon continued to cry. His hands clutched on to the back of Ichigo's tshirt.

I took a few steps further inside the room, standing behind Isshin. Ichigo talked in a low voice, trying to soothe Kon but it didn't do any good. After a few minutes he started to calm down and he was eventually able to talk.

"Please don't make me go back there, Ichigo. I hate it there so much." His words were wavering slightly but I could make them out.

"Kon, there's no way in hell you're going back there. Your dad was arrested for domestic violence and possession of cocaine." Kon sat his head up and wiped his eyes with the back of his hands. His gaze stayed on Ichigo, I don't think he realized Isshin and I were there.

"What about my mom?"

"She got there a little before the police and I don't think she was charged with anything but I told her and the police officer that you were staying at our house once you got out of the hospital." Kon nodded and thanked him quietly. His eyes shifted and he finally noticed us, his expression changing to one of surprise.

"Rukia, what happened to you?" I blinked, a little confused but then realized that my face was probably bruised and swollen. Ichigo glanced over at me before sitting on Kon's bedside.

"She waited with you while Kisa told us what happened and your dad found her." Kon's eyes widened.

"I'm so sorry, Rukia." I shook my head and walked up towards them.

"Don't be, I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" I nodded and leaned against the side of the bed.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'm more worried about you." Kon ran a hand through his hair carefully and rested back against his pillows.

"The doctor said my cat scan showed no major injuries or complications. With all the medicine he's giving me, I don't feel half bad; I just have a constant headache." He smiled up at me, his eyes giving away his fatigue. They were slightly red probably because he was crying and there were a few bruises randomly placed on his face. "Is Kisa here?"

"Yeah, she's out in the waiting room with my brother. She was sleeping but when we woke her up to come see you she said she'd wait out there." Kon frowned slightly at my words. I smiled and patted his arm. "I could go and drag her in here if you want." He grinned and shook his head.

"No thanks, she doesn't have to come in if she doesn't want to." I took a step back and glanced at Isshin who had moved to the other side of Kon's bed but quickly returned my gaze to Kon.

"I'll go ask her again and I promise I won't force her." I turned and headed back towards the waiting room. When I approached Byuakuya I saw Kisa sitting up. Her elbows were rested on her knees and she craddled her head in her hands. Byu had his hand resting on her back, looking worried which made me start to worry. "Kisa?" She looked up at me, a strange expression on her face. "Are you okay?" She nodded and sat up, looking up at me. "Kon really wants you to come see him, do you wanna?" Kisa hesitated but shook her head.

"No thanks." I sighed quietly and gestured for her to follow me. Again she hesitated but took a few steps away from the others to talk to me alone.

"Why don't you want to see Kon?" I frowned at her, concerned.

"I just...don't want to see him hurt like that...it freaks me out."

"I can't imagine how hard this must be for you but Kon was there when your dad got arrested. Kon really needs you, Kisa." She shook her head, looking down at her feet.

"I can't do anything..."

"Just come see him, it'll make him feel better." She sighed reluctantly and nodded in agreement. "Are you going to be okay going in there?"

"Yeah..." I glanced over at Byuakuya before we headed for Kon's room. When we walked through the door, Kon's attention immediately went to Kisa. He smiled weakly at her as we approached the bed.

"Did Rukia force you to come in here?" Kisa shook her head, not voicing her answer. Her face was neutral but I could tell something was wrong. "Are you okay, Kisa?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kon nodded and Ichigo stood. He glanced at his dad before turning to Kon.

"Hey, I'm going to grab something to eat in the cafeteria. I'll be back in a few minutes, okay?" Again Kon nodded in response. Ichigo turned toward the door and nudged me. "Come on, Rukia." I turned and followed, not questioning him. As we headed out the door I heard Isshin make an excuse to leave and once we were down the hall, I heard him exit the room. Ichigo grabbed my hand but stayed silent, not feeling the need to explain.

"What was that about? We were only in there for like five minutes." He turned down towards me before answering.

"I just figured Kisa would talk to him if we left them alone. You know how she is, and I could tell something was wrong with her." I nodded in agreement.

"I could too." I looked down the hall, staring ahead. "Honestly I think Kon's become this strong constant figure in her eyes and it scares her that he got so hurt." Ichigo laughed under his breath. "What?"

"Kon strong?" I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"To Kisa, yes probably." Ichigo shrugged, now looking serious.

"Yeah, I get what you're saying." He led me into the cafeteria and started glancing around absently. After going through the line and grabbing some sliced apples and a bottle of water, he paid for his items and started looking for a table. "Do you mind sitting in here for a while so they have time to talk?"

"That's fine." We found an empty table for two and sat down, facing each other. I rested my head in my hand and stared off again, feeling even more drowsy from the painkillers.

"Are you okay?"

"Hm?" I glanced over at him. "Yeah, I'm just tired."

"Why didn't you let my dad get you a room? We could be here for a while. It could take another two hours before the doctor tells us when Kon can leave." I shrugged, hating the idea of sleeping in a hospital bed.

"I doubt I'd be able to sleep."

"You were sleeping earlier." Ichigo opened his plastic container of apples and sat it between us. He held a slice out to me and I took, chewing on the soft fruit absently. After finishing the piece, I answered him.

"I doubt I could sleep in one of those rooms."

"Why?" He sat a half eaten slice of fruit back in the container.

"I hate hospitals, if I weren't so worried about Kon I probably wouldn't have been able to go into his room." He slowly nodded, now aware of my reasoning.

"How long were in you the hospital with Hisana?"

"Um...almost three months. I mean, we were both in and out but the majority of that time was spent here." His eyebrows turned down slightly, a puzzled expression crossing his features.

"_This_ hospital?" I nodded.

"Yup. Third floor, room 356."

"God, this must be awful for you and Byuakuya." I smiled and shrugged.

"I'm thinking of Kon first, so I'm not really thinking about that. Besides, I think Byu is more worried about Kisa and I. I hope he's okay."

"Me too." Ichigo picked up his forgotten apple and finished it. "Still, I think you should get some sleep. Maybe you should go home with Byuakuya or something."

"I think you're just trying to get rid of me." He grinned and slid the bottle of water over to me. I took a sip as he responded.

"Of course I'm not, I'm genuinely concerned about you." He was mocking me with his tone and I rolled my eyes before I rubbed them tiredly. "Honestly, though, you look exhausted."

"I am but that's mostly because I didn't sleep well last night."

"Why?" I shrugged and recapped the lid of the bottle.

"I just woke up a lot."

"Did you-" Ichigo cut himself off and turned towards Isshin who was approaching our table.

"I talked to Dr. Tanaka." Ichigo's eyebrows rose.

"What'd he say?"

"He said that all of Kon's tests turned out pretty good. Apparently most his injuries looked more serious than they actually were. Tanaka said that he wants to keep him over night just in case but he'll release him first thing in the morning."

"That's great." Isshin smiled and nodded, agreeing happily.

"But I'm still going to make him sleep in the clinic to keep an eye on him. It's not that I doubt Dr. Tanaka but sometimes it takes awhile for certain symptoms of head injuries to show up so I'll keep him hooked up to a couple monitoring machines." Ichigo took a bite of another apple before speaking.

"Did Kon have a concussion?"

"Not that we're aware of, he's not showing any signs of one but sometimes head injuries can cause issues, even if all his tests cleared out." Ichigo nodded and stood. He grabbed the plastic container and I grabbed the water as we headed back towards Kon's room with Isshin. When we reentered the room I noted immediately how much better he was looking already. Physically he was still bruised and hurt but as he talked to Kisa, who was sitting on the edge of Kon's bed, legs dangling over the side, he grinned happily. His gaze turned to the three of us as we entered the room.

"Hi guys." Ichigo walked over to Kon's bedside table and sat the carton of apple slices down.

"Hey, you're looking better. Did they inject you with more drugs?" Kon laughed quietly and shook his head.

"No but the ones they gave me earlier are still working pretty good." Ichigo smiled and sat down next to Kisa. The ringing of a phone went off as I advanced towards Ichigo. Kon's phone, now sitting next to the apples, was ringing and vibrating on his end table. He glanced at it curiously and after reading the name, he picked it up and answered the call.

"Hello?" Renji's voice could be heard on the other end as he asked Kon about his plans for the day. Kon laughed, leaning back in his bed. "I don't think I can hang out today, Renji." On the other line Renji made a joke about spending all his time with Kisa. Ichigo held his hand out to Kon and he quickly gave him the device.

"Renji? Hey...yes this is Ichigo you idiot." He rolled his eyes and stared off, listening as Renji asked him something about Kon. "No...because he's in the hospital. Sorta...really? Sure, yeah I don't think he'll mind. Okay, see ya later, bye." Ichigo hung up and sat the phone next to Kon. "Renji and Mina are coming over and he said he'll tell Michiru about it. By the end of the day, everyone'll probably be here."

"Okay."

"Is that okay with you?" Kon nodded and absently started messing with the blanket over his legs.

"Yeah, I don't care." Ichigo watched his face intently for a moment before turning towards me, dismissing his concern. I leaned against him, my hip against his knee and my arm rested over his leg. He looked at least four inches taller because of the elevation of the hospital bed. Ichigo hoisted me up, his hands on my waist and sat me on his leg. It reminded me of how Byuakuya used to pull me on his lap when we still lived with my parents.

"This is a little insulting." Ichigo laughed and bounced me on his knee once.

"You're so light, you might as well be a nine year old."

"You're not making it any better." Kon chuckled, his gaze now on me.

"You really do look smaller next to Ichigo."

"Yeah, yeah." Kisa looked over at me, her face still looking neutral. "You know, Kisa's short too. I don't understand why she's not made fun of like I am."

"Rukia she's like two or three years younger than you."

"No she's not. How old are you Kisa?" She smiled slightly before answering.

"Fifteen."

"How old are you, Ruk?" Kon's smile widened, knowing that I was wrong.

"Eighteen. You know what, shut up. My height runs in my family, okay? My mom and sister were no taller than me. It's not my fault you two have fathers the size of giants." Ichigo patted my back, holding back laughter.

"Your mom was really your height?" I sighed and looked up at him.

"That's what you got from what I just said?" He chuckled under his breath and shook his head.

"No, I understand your size is a hereditary thing but that doesn't make it less amusing."

"You're an asshole." Isshin laughed from the other side of the room. He was sitting in the cushioned chair closest to the large hospital bed.

"Ichigo, you need to marry this girl." Ichigo rolled his eyes and glanced over at his father.

"Yeah right, so you two can team up on me? I don't think so."

"No, because she tells you like it is. Honest woman are the best type of woman to marry." Ichigo's eyebrows turned down.

"I think you're confusing honesty for her bitchy attitude." I elbowed him in the stomach, hoping to cause some real pain.

"You better shut up while you're ahead." He wrapped an arm around his stomach and laid his head on my shoulder, groaning.

"Yeah, that's a good idea." He sat up and leaned back on his hands.

We sat around for about twenty minutes, talking amongst ourselves. We stayed away from the topic of the incident with Kaede and tried to keep conversation light. I could feel the medicine wearing off but there was a slight drowsiness that never went away. I laid my head against Ichigo's shoulder after a few minutes, feeling a little drained. At about one forty-five Byuakuya walked in, leading Renji and Mina. Renji walked over to Kon's bed, a concerned look on his face.

"Kon what happened?" He shook his head and ran a hand through his hair.

"I just got into some dumb arguement with my dad last night." A hard expression fell over Renji's features.

"That stupid son of a bitch."

"Don't worry about it, everything's been taken care of. I'm fine, Renji." A glare found it's way on Renji's brow.

"You don't look fine to me. Did that fucking bastard get arrested this time or what?" Ichigo sat up and nodded.

"Yes, Renji. Believe me, if the police didn't force him into their car, I would have." Renji glanced over at us and nodded, still looking pissed. Mina approached us, standing in front of Ichigo and I.

"What happened to you Rukia?" Renji looked down at me curiously. I shook my head.

"Kaede hit her." Ichigo's voice was lower, giving away his anger. Renji's face gave away his newly found irritation.

"That piece of shit is so lucky I wasn't around." Kon laughed and jokingly punched Renji's arm.

"You would've gotten yourself arrested."

"I don't care, it would've been for a good reason." Before Kon could respond, Byuakuya spoke up.

"Rukia, I think we should head home." I sat up and nodded. After Kisa and I slid off the bed, we said our goodbyes and followed Byu out the door. I was a little relieved to be going home, hoping to get some sleep once we were there. We met up with Yoshiki and Mai in the waiting room but before we could made it out the door Isshin and Ichigo stopped us. Isshin approached me and Byuakuya.

"Sorry to keep you guys any longer, I just wanted to ask you if you wanted me to write you a perscription for some painkillers." His words were directed to me and I thought about it, assessing the pain.

"Eh, no I think I'll be fine. Thanks anyway."

"Are you sure? I can't be positive but it might hurt a lot later." I shrugged, figuring that I'd take some generic medicine if I had to.

"Yeah, I'm sure. Thanks for everything though." He shook his head and laid his hand on my shoulder.

"Thank you, Rukia. We would've have known about Kon for hours if you hadn't come over. I'm really sorry for what happened to you."

"It's not your fault. Honestly I don't care about that, I just hope everything's okay with Kon." Isshin smiled and gave me a hug. I felt everyone's attention on us and awkwardly patted his back. Ichigo spoke up, interupting our conversation.

"I'm gonna drive over to the house with Renji to get your car."

"Oh, right. I forgot all about that." I glanced up at Byuakuya as he dug in his pockets for the keys. He handed them over to Ichigo silently. "Thanks, Ichigo." He grinned down at me and shoved me, hitting my shoulder.

"No problem, Midget. I'll talk to you later." They said goodbye and left, heading for Kon's room again. Again we headed for the doors and as we were heading down the final hallway Michiru and Hisagi passed us, not seeming to notice Kisa or I. Both of them looked extremely worried and I figured Michiru was freaking out about Kon. We continued out into the parking lot where we decided who would ride with who. Byu and I were riding alone so Kisa could catch up with her brother and get to know his fiance. They headed in the direction of Yoshiki's car as I walked towards Byuakuya's. I was about to get in when I heard my name.

"Rukia?" I glanced across the parking lot to see Tatsuki and Kiba advancing towards the doors we just left. He stopped and I took a few steps closer to them.

"Hey, are you guys here to see Kon?"

"Yeah, why are you leaving?" I glanced towards Byuakuya, who I hoped wasn't getting too anxious to leave.

"We've been here for a few hours already." He nodded, as Tatsuki tugged on his hand.

"Oh, okay. We'll see you tomorrow, bye. Bye, Mr. Kuchiki." Byuakuya and I waved as they continued towards the large building. Finally, we slid into the car and Byu started it quickly. He adjusted the air conditioner before reaching in his pocket to pull out his phone.

"I don't know about you but I'm starving. I'm going to order us some dinner before we head out. It should get there just a few minutes after us."

"That's fine." I laid back in my seat as he dialed his phone. My head rested against the window as he ordered from a rarely picked restaurant. It was an expensive order too, I figured he wanted to make it up to our guests for the inconvenience of the hospital trip. When he finished he sat his phone on the car's console sitting between our seats and shifted into drive.

"Are you feeling any better?"

"Yeah, it doesn't hurt that much anymore." I glanced over at him, now leaning against the head rest.

"You should've taken that medicine. It might feel worse in a couple of hours."

"I'll be fine." He shook his head as he turned out of the hosptials parking lot.

"You've never been punched before, Rukia. If it leaves bruises like that, it'll probably hurt as long as those marks are there." I smiled and narrowed my eyes.

"And you have been punched before?"

"Yes, I have." My eyebrows turned down.

"Getting hit by Hisana doesn't count." He laughed and rolled his eyes.

"My brother punched me. One night when he got drunk in our father's basement, I caught him and he threatened to beat me up if I told anyone. When I told him I wouldn't, he didn't believe me and punched me in the mouth." I blinked surprised.

"No way, which brother?"

"Katsurou."

"Wow, so I'm guessing it hurt pretty bad." Byuakuya nodded, flipping his turn signal on. Katsurou was the oldest of the Kuchiki kids and an extremely professional man like his he was pretty rebellious when both he and Byuakuya were teenagers and I remember him coming over to see Hisana with Byu a lot. As a kid I really liked Katsurou, he played with me and came over as much as he could.

"Yeah, it was awful. I'm telling you, it hurt for nearly five days before the pain ever went away completely." I shrugged it off.

"Eh, I'll be okay."

"I hope so." He turned onto a main road and sped up appropriately. Silence filled the car and I rested my head against the window and closed my eyes. The steady hum of the vehicle was my main focus and before I knew it, I was feeling tired again. Within the next five minutes I slowly dozed off, falling into a deep sleep.

-:-

I slept a dreamless sleep, one that was obviously medicated. I'm not sure how long I slept but when I did wake up from a loud knocking sound, I was well rested. There was an exagerated knock that sounded like someone slammed their palm against a hollow wooden door. That was what woke me up. I sat up quickly and pushed the blankets away. After blinking a few times I looked around, finding myself in my bedroom. Byuakuya must've carried me inside from the car. I heard the door creak open and figured Byu was checking up on me.

"Hey Rukia, are you ready to get up yet? Byuakuya said you've been sleeping for the last three hours." I looked over to see Renji and Ichigo standing in my doorway. I opened my mouth to answer but felt pain surge through my jaw. Instinctively my hands went to my mouth.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo quickly approached me and sat on my bed in front of me.

"Yeah, my jaws just a little sore." Renji laughed quietly, looking sympathetic.

"You're one touch chick, Rukia. Kaede's a big guy." I smiled and nodded.

"I know." Renji walked over to the other side of my bed and sat down before stretching out next to me.

"We brought your car over."

"Thanks." I looked down at him. "Comfortable?" He smiled and nodded.

"Yes I am, thanks for asking." Ichigo leaned back on his hands and turned his attention back to me.

"Dad gave me some painkillers to give you. Do you want some?" I thought about it briefly before nodding. "Okay, I'll go get it." He got up and left, quickly shutting the door behind him. I looked over at Renji who was now turned onto his back, staring up at me.

"So, are you and Mina got back together?"

"Yup, unfortunately." A smile spread over his face.

"That's awful, Renji."

"I'm just kidding. Yeah, we got back together yesterday after we left Michiru's." I nodded, resting my elbows on my knees and leaning my weight on them.

"Well, I think that's good news." His smile widened and he shrugged.

"What about you? That was a pretty entertaining interaction between you and your boyfriend Ichigo yesterday." I rolled my eyes, dreading this conversation with _Renji_ of all people.

"That was not funny."

"Oh yes it was. Why are you so embarrassed of him?" My eyebrows turned down.

"I'm not embarrassed of Ichigo, I just didn't want to tell you guys that we went on **one** date because I knew you would all pick on me like you're doing right now." He nudged me with his elbow.

"I'm just messing with you. Honestly, I'm glad Ichigo finally got a good girlfriend. He always dated such fake girls before."

"Like Mahana?" He grinned at me and nodded.

"Exactly, except she's more of a slut than she is fake."

"And you're okay sleeping with a slut? You're so gross, Renji." He shook his head, trying to look offended.

"Hey, I know I didn't show it but I was very upset about Mina breaking up with me. That's how I cope with those kinds of feelings. When I'm mad at Mina for dumping me sometimes I feel like I have to get back at her." He shook his head again before sitting up next to me. "Anyway, lets stay on track here. I was saying that I'm happy for you guys, I know you and I don't know each other very much but from what I know you seem like a really cool girl."

"Thanks and I'd love to be able to call you a nice guy but I don't think that's an appropriate generalization." I laughed, teasing him.

"Ha ha, Rukia." He ruffled up my hair before leaning back against my bedframe. "I guess I don't have to nag you about Ichigo's idiotic stunt yesterday but I can't make any promises for Hisagi and Kiba."

"Good, you'd probably be the worst." Renji laughed as Ichigo came back into the room with a bottle of water and a small medical container of pills. I gladly took the medicine from him, surprised by how sore my jaw was feeling. After swallowing the pills I continued to drink from the water bottle until it was half gone.

"Damn, thirsty much?" I nodded at Renji's question and recapped the lid.

"What time is it?" Ichigo sat back down next to me and read the clock on his phone.

"It's 5:09."

"Really?"

"Yup. Byuakuya said you fell asleep in the car." I nodded, remembering our conversation before I fell asleep.

"How long have you guys been here?" Ichigo shrugged, resting against my bedframe also.

"Just like fifteen or twenty minutes. I think we got persuaded into staying for dinner." I smiled, thinking about the food Byu had ordered in the car. I climbed over Ichigo and got off the bed.

"Speaking of dinner, I'm going to get something to eat." They stood and followed me down the stairs. When I got to the kitchen I found Yoshiki, Mai, and Kisa sitting at the table. They were talking until they heard the three of us walk in the room. Mai smiled up at me happily.

"Hi Rukia, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you." I returned the gesture and approached the table. I sat on Kisa's free side and Renji took the seat next to me. Ichigo sat in the chair on Renji's right side, leaving one open chair for 'Yuakuya. "Where's Byu?" Yoshiki glanced in the living room, a confused expression crossing his features.

"He was in the front room a few minutes ago." I nodded.

"He's probably upstairs or something." Renji elbowed me, getting my attention.

"Who are these two?" I hadn't realized that they didn't meet.

"Oh, sorry. This is Yoshiki, Kisa's brother, and Mai, 'Shiki's fiance." Renji nodded slowly.

"Okay, that makes sense. I can see some resemblance." He glanced between Kisa and Yoshiki a few times.

"This is Renji." Both Mai and Yoshiki nodded.

"It's nice to meet you, Renji." Mai grinned up at him, looking extremely friendly. She had straight short black hair that brushed the top of her shoulders. Her eyes were a bright but misty blue color and she was donning a loose fitting dress that ended at her knees. Yoshiki had curly hair, identical in color to Kisa's, and eyes that were also the same shade as his sister's, though not as large. He wore jeans and a long sleeve button up shirt.

"It's nice to meet you, too." Renji smiled back before glancing at Kisa. "How are you, Squirt?"

"Fine." Renji's eyebrows turned down slightly.

"You don't seem fine." Kisa simply shrugged. "Do you like staying here at Rukia's?"

"Yes."

"That's good. How long have you been here?"

"About a week." Yoshiki glanced up at me.

"Thank you, again, for letting her stay here. You have no idea how much I appreciate it."

"It's no problem, honestly Byuakuya deserves the 'thank you.' Besides, I love having her here." I grinned at Kisa, earning a small smile in return. "We're practically sisters now." Yoshiki laughed and patted Kisa's shoulder gently.

"Good, I hope she's just as happy." Byuakuya came into the kitchen and smiled down at me.

"Feeling better, Rukia?"

"Yeah. What are we having for dinner?" Byu laughed and stood at the table between me and Kisa.

"Leftover lunch."

"Can we eat now? I'm hungry." He nodded and headed for the fridge. I stood and helped him get the leftovers out. We heated up some rice, chicken, and steamed vegetables. I was surprised by how much we had left after lunch. There was still a huge plastic container of rice and vegetables. The chicken looked like it hadn't been touched and there was still fish in the fridge. "Did you guys eat lunch or what? There's so much food."

"I purposely ordered a lot of food, I just didn't realize how big their servings were." I smiled up at my brother.

"Nice." He shrugged and carried the bowls of food to the table. I grabbed enough plates for all of us and after sitting them on the table I got everyone a glass. Before sitting back in my seat I grabbed a pitcher of iced tea from the fridge and brought it to the table. I sat in the chair between Ichigo and Mai. Renji glanced at me, looking at me expectantly.

"Uh, that's not where you were sitting before." I smiled at him and glanced up at Byuakuya.

"I didn't know we had assigned seats, besides that's Byu's chair."

"Is his name on it?" I laughed and nodded.

"As a matter of fact, yes it is." Renji furrowed his brow.

"Why?"

"Last year my sister got one of her teeth pulled and couldn't eat for like two hours afterwards so when we all sat down for dinner she got bored and carved our names is the chairs we were sitting in." Renji chuckled and looked over the chair, looking for Byuakuya's name.

"That's hilarious. Which one's yours?" I pointed to the seat Renji was in. He turned and searched until he found my name. "Do you still have your sister's?"

"Yeah I think it's the one Mai's in." Mai turned and nodded when she found Hisana's name. Renji's smile widened as he rested his elbows on the table.

"Your sister sounds pretty awesome." Byuakuya sat down and nodded.

"She was." Renji turned his attention to my brother.

"Is Rukia a lot like her?" Byu thought about it before answering.

"In some ways, yes. Their sense of humor was the same and Rukia picked up a lot of habits from Hisana."

"Like what?" Renji was the first one to start scooping food onto his plate, filling it quickly.

"When Hisana and I first brought Rukia home, she would always want to sleep with Hisana. She would always complain about Hisana sleeping with the fan on but now she has a fan running in her room 99% of the time." Ichigo laughed and started filling his own plate before handing me the rice spoon. I smiled to myself, never really thinking about it in that way. The spoon made it's way around the table and I filled my glass with tea before handing Mai the pitcher. She thanked me and turned her attention to Byuakuya.

"Do they look a lot alike?"

"Yes, especially now that Rukia's a teenager." Byu turned to Ichigo. "You saw Hisana's picture at the cemetary didn't you?"

"Yeah, honestly the only difference I could see was the length of their hair."

"We didn't look that much alike. They're exagerating." Mai grinned at me and patted my hand.

"I dunno, I'd have to see for myself."

"I'll show you a picture of her after dinner. I'll prove it." She nodded and took a sip of tea.

"Okay, I'd love to." My smile widened, she seemed like such a sweet person. Renji turned his attention to Yoshiki.

"So are you two in college?" Yoshiki nodded.

"I am, Mai graduated last year."

"What was your major?" Mai brushed her hair out of her face before answering.

"I majored in history. I'm hoping to get a job as a teacher."

"You should totally apply at our school, I hate our history teacher." She laughed and shrugged.

"I dunno, I have to wait for Yoshiki to finish school before we move so far away." Renji nodded and took another bite of food before continuing the conversation.

"What's your major?"

"Medical science," Yoshiki answered.

"Cool, so are you going to be a doctor or a medical chemist or what?" I was surprised by Renji's good social skills. He seemed like the guy who was too scary looking to approach and I guess I never expected him to get along with strangers so well.

"I'm hoping to be a doctor but I guess I'd like to do some medical research."

"Oh, like try to find cures and new vaccines? That sort of research?" Yoshiki nodded.

"Yeah, exactly." Renji shook his head.

"You must be really intelligent. I guess that's where Kisa got it." He smiled over at Kisa who was handing the tea pitcher to Byuakuya. "Did she tell you about being moved up into the tenth grade?" Yoshiki looked down at her.

"No she didn't. You were pushed ahead again? That's great, Kisa, I'm so proud of you." She nodded and took a bite of chicken.

"Did she at least tell you about her boyfriend Kon?" Renji grinned down at her, earning a blank stare that held a lot of anger behind it.

"That boy is your boyfriend? The one in the hospital?"

"No." She turned back towards her plate and spooned some broccoli off her plate.

"He might as well be. They've never gone out but they spend most of their free time together." Yoshiki nodded, watching her intently before looking away. There was a bit of an awkward silence before Renji spoke up again.

"I was just teasing you, Kisa. Sorry if I pissed you off." She glanced up at him again.

"You didn't." There was no more anger behind her words or gaze. He smiled at her and changed the topic of conversation. The rest of our dinner was mostly spent getting to know Yoshiki and Mai. They told us about their wedding plans and about a house they were thinking about buying back home. We spent about forty minutes sitting at the table and talking. After we had all finished eating, Byuakuya and I cleared the table quickly. It was a little after six when Renji and Ichigo were getting ready to leave. They said their goodbyes to everyone but Kisa and I walked them out to Ichigo's truck. Renji jingled the keys in his hands as we stood in front of the large vehicle.

"You're not driving back to the hospital, Renji so you better just hand over my keys."

"What, why?" Ichigo fished my keys out of his pocket and handed them to me while answering.

"Because you drive like a maniac and my truck is dented enough thank you."

"You let me drive it here." Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Do you think I'm stupid enough to let you drive Rukia's car? It's only like a year old and in perfect condition. I'd rather you wreck my truck than her car. Just give me my keys, you moron." Renji sighed and through the keys at him.

"Ass." He turned to Kisa and smiled down at her. "Bye Kisa, I'll see ya tomorrow." He hugged her lightly, the action coming off as a brotherly habit even though Renji was an only child. Surprisingly, Kisa didn't stiffen or look uncomfortable. She lightly patted his arm, looking oddly relaxed with the giant.

"Bye." He pulled away and hugged me tightly. This time he was more like an annoying cousin as he roughly patted my shoulder.

"Bye, Rukia." Renji grinned down as he ruffled up my hair. I couldn't figure out why he and Kon felt the need to do that to me but it never ceased to annoy me. I pushed his hand away.

"Get away from me, you brute." He laughed and waved me off, getting into the passenger side seat in Ichigo's truck. Ichigo laid his hand on Kisa's arm momentarily.

"Bye, Kisa."

"Bye, Ichigo." He smiled down at her before turning to me.

"I'll see ya later, Rukia."

"Are you going to school tomorrow?" He nodded as he shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, why?"

"I just thought that if you stayed with Kon tonight, you wouldn't want to go to school. I know I wouldn't." He shrugged as Renji honked the horn at us. Renji yelled from the window, badgering Ichigo about hurrying up. I smiled up at him as I flipped him the bird. Ichigo laughed and ignored the moron with his back to his truck.

"Honestly I might not stay with him tonight, someone has to be home with my little sisters."

"...You have sisters?" Ichigo grinned and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, two."

"I haven't...met them have I?"

"No, you haven't. God, you're clueless, Rukia." He pulled his hands out of his pockets and pushed my disheveled hair behind my shoulder.

"Well, my god Ichigo, you never talk about them." He laughed again and shrugged his shoulders. His arms slid around my waist as he pulled me in a hug. I wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head against his. I was surprised by how quickly I had grown comfortable with Ichigo. It usually took me at least a month or two of dating a guy before I was okay with them hugging me or holding my hand. If one of my old boyfriends tried to hug me or even put an arm around me too soon, I'd either yell at them or break up with them. I had a very strict personal space policy but for some reason that had changed.

Ichigo kissed my head and pulled away. He said one last goodbye to both of us and got in his truck. Kisa and I headed inside before they pulled out of the drive way. We headed back towards the table to talk with Mai and Yoshiki but my thoughts were mostly on Ichigo. I started thinking about our date coming up the following weekend. I was noticeably more excited about it than I had been the day before and I couldn't believe how much a few days had changed our friendship and relationship.

-:-

**Okay, just like last week, I had a lot of this done bye last Sunday but never had time to finish. I really hope you all like the drama in this chapter and please review! Let me know if I pulled off the violent drug addict and all the other drastic people in the chapter! Thanks for reading!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I'm back! This'll probably be posted next weekend but I figured since we have a three day weekend due to Labor day, I'd write today and hopefully tomorrow! What did you all think about the last action packed chapter? I can't believe I'm already starting chapter 12! Wow! Ooh, did anyone notice me throw my name into the plot? (Kon's mama=Naomi and I=Naomi) It made me very happy and I'm not sure why! Anywho, I'll stop blabbing and get on with it ;) ENJOY!**

-:-

The next day Yoshiki and Mai drove Kisa and I out to the hospital to see Kon once we got back from school. He seemed to be doing much better and Yoshiki got the oppurtunity to formally introduce himself as Kisa's brother. Ichigo was already there and so was Isshin and Ichigo's two sisters. I was introduced to Yuzu and Karin for the first time and was bombarded with questions about my relationship with Ichigo. Karin came off as protective even though she covered it with lame jokes and a nonchalant attitude. Yuzu seemed estatic that her brother had a new girlfriend.

Most of my time was spent with the girls and by the time I had a chance to talk to Kon, Yoshiki was ready to head back home. We left and from what I was told, Kon left that afternoon with Ichigo and Isshin. He missed three days of school that week before Isshin let him come back. His first day back everyone was asking him about his strange absences and why he was covered with bruises. I could tell he was uncomfortable and apparently so could Renji. Renji started scaring everyone away from Kon during lunch and breaks. Within a few days, Kon was back on track with school and people gave up asking about his incident.

That week flew by and on Thursday Kisa and I left school early to go to her mother's funeral. Byuakuya picked us up and took us home to change and all five of us crowded in Byu's car before heading for the familiar cemetary. Kisa didn't seem too upset about the funeral, I think she was more concerned about her father being there, and neither did Yoshiki. He told us that he had kept in touch with his mother over the years and he knew she was getting more and more depressed each time he heard from her. Even though he had written to her and called her he said that after Kisa was born, they didn't have a very good relationship. Apparently Kisa's birth is what triggered her father's drinking, though no one would say it like that.

At the funeral Kisa stood between her brother and mine. She seemed fine until her dad showed up, standing on the opposite side of the grave. She started fidgeting nervously, her eyes were downcast. It was hard for me to believe someone could be so scared of their own father but I knew she had every reason to be. I remembered my parents pushing me around and hitting me from time to time but never beating me. Still as an eight year old, I wasn't scared of my six foot tall father, I just avoided him. Kisa's father purposely stood in her line of sight and though he didn't appear or act drunk, he was watching her intently. He was trying to scare her before the service had even started. I glared at him angrily, the stupid bastard never taking his gaze off his daughter. Byuakuya looked down at me, a confused expression on his face.

"What's wrong, Rukia?" He spoke in hushed tones, the grounds were fairly empty and completely silent.

"That asshole is pissing me off." Byuakuya glanced up at Kisa's dad before returning his gaze to me.

"Just ignore him, we'll leave without saying a word to him." I shook my head, my arms folded.

"Look at Kisa, Byuakuya. He won't leave her alone." My voice was rising and I made an impulsive decision. I took a few steps forward. "I'll be right back." Byu grabbed my arm.

"Rukia, stay away from him." I pulled away and walked around my brother.

"He's not going to do anything, I'll be fine." I continued around the open grave until I was standing in front of Kisa's father. "Hey, I dunno what you think you're doing but leave Kisa alone." The man's eyes met mine, finally acknowledging me.

"Who are you?" His words were crisp and not the slightest bit slurred.

"That doesn't matter, I know what you're doing and I'm not going to let you intimidate Kisa throughout the entire service." His eyes narrowed and he leaned the slightest bit closer to me.

"Sounds like you're trying to intimidate me, little girl." I shrugged.

"So what if I am, I'm not going to put up with your shit and I know you're not dumb enough to do anything to me in public. I'm not scared of you."

"Looks like someone's already put you in your place, if you were smart you'd keep your mouth shut and go back where you came from." My hand instinctively went to my fading bruises still residing on my jawline. I laughed at him and shook my head.

"Look, I really don't want to fight with you at your wife's funeral." I grabbed his wrist and pulled him towards the other end of the grave towards the preacher. I smiled up at the religious official and let go of the man. The preacher returned the gesture and shook my hand. He introduced himself and gave his apoligies to Kisa's dad. After our quick conversation with the priest I looked up at Kisa's father, Mr. Otaka. I had seen their last name for the first time on the memorial programs handed out. "Let's stand over here, it's more appropriate, don't you think?" He narrowed his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pockets, refusing to answer me. I glanced up at Byuakuya who was giving me a stern angry look. Kisa was holding onto his hand and laying her head against his arm. She looked like she would be sick to her stomach.

The service was small, there were no more than ten people there all together. It lasted for about half an hour and when the priest asked if anyone wanted to say a few words about the woman, no one spoke up. There was no one who seemed too upset about Mrs. Otaka's death and sadly Mai was probably the most emotional one there. I had never been to a more depressing funeral in my life, I couldn't believe how little this woman seemed to mean to her own kids and husband. It was such a contrasting service from Hisana's.

Once it was over I told Mr. Otaka that I was sorry for his loss and walked around him towards Byuakuya. We left before Kisa's dad could approach her or Yoshiki. The ride home was silent except for the sound of Mai's shallow breathing.

The weekend flew by just as quickly as the week had and Yoshiki decided to stay for a few extra nights. Their planned flight was scheduled to leave on the following Monday but he asked Byuakuya and with his permission, they changed their flight for Thursday. On the Friday after the funeral Ichigo and I went out again. We went to the movies and afterwards went out for dinner. We started spending as much time as possible together, going over to each other's houses after school and making plans for the weekend together. Needless to say the next two weeks I saw a lot of Ichigo.

We spent a lot of our time with Kon and Kisa too, always inviting them along. On the weekends we made bigger plans with the rest of our friends like going over to Michiru's to swim or staying over at Mina's house for a movie marathon. Everyone one seemed to be doing really well and Renji and Mina were getting along a lot better. Even Tatsuki and Kiba were open about their relationship.

It wasn't until Thursday, two weeks after the funeral, when something came up. After school that day Ichigo and I had decided to go to his house. Kisa and Kon stayed after school because Kisa had to take a test. Ichigo and I were sitting at his kitchen table trying to work on homework while we kept a casual conversation. While working we heard a loud knock on the door and Ichigo quickly left to answer it. He came back with a nervous looking Hisagi. I looked up at him, concerned about his strange expression, as they sat down.

"What's up, man? You look terrible?" Ichigo leaned back in his seat, pushing his notebook away dismissively.

"I dunno, I think I'm freaking out."

"About what?" Hisagi glanced at me before turning back to Ichigo. He didn't say anything but I could tell they were conversing somehow. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "You can tell us, Rukia's not going to say anything." I blinked and looked back up at Hisagi, he still looked unsure.

"I can leave if you want." Ichigo shook his head and turned to me.

"Something's going on with Michiru and he's scared you're going to tell her about this conversation."

"Oh, don't worry about it, Hisagi. I wouldn't tell her anything." He stretched his hand out to me.

"Pinky promise?" I smiled and latched pinkies with him.

"Of course." He smiled and nodded, his grin faltering slightly.

"What are you freaking out about?" Ichigo's attention was back on Shuuhei. He ran a hand through his hair and rested his elbows on the table.

"I dunno it's just-" He sighed, frustrated with himself.

"Did she do something to piss you off?"

"No, she hasn't done anything. Don't get me wrong everything's good, it's just me." Ichigo leaned forward, looking confused.

"You have to start making sense soon, Hisagi." Sagi laughed and nodded, the amusemant quickly draining from his face.

"We've been going out for like eleven months and my fucking mom keeps making a big deal out of it. Even Mina and Tatsuki have mentioned it to us in the last week and I guess-" Again he shook his head before rubbing his eyes tiredly. "It freaks me out, man. I honestly can't even think about our one year anniversary next month without..."

"Freaking out?" Ichigo offered.

"Exactly. God, I'm such a shitty person. I've been making excuses these last few days so we couldn't hang out and I keep ignoring her texts."Ichigo reached over and roughly patted his shoulder.

"Shuuhei, you are not a shitty person. Look, I think it's totally reasonable for you to be scared. Don't you Rukia?" I nodded in agreement remembering my old boyfriend's worries about our sixth and ten month anniversaries.

"So? I'm taking it out on Michiru. It's not her fault I'm acting like such a pussy." Ichigo laughed and rolled his eyes.

"You're not acting like a pussy, you know it's okay to have feelings." Hisagi smiled, nodding in response. "What freaks you out so much about it?"

"I dunno, I'm just scared that she's going to expect more from me."

"Like what?" Hisagi tapped his knuckles against the table top nervously.

"Like, what if she starts talking about marriage?"

"So what if she does?"

"So what? That's a huge deal! We're only in high school, I don't wanna think about getting married." Ichigo smiled and shook his head.

"I'm positive Michiru wouldn't expect you to propose while you were still in high school. Look, some girls just want to talk about stuff like marriage to see how serious you are about them, not because they expect to get married any time soon. Besides, there is no harm in _talking_ about it. Both of you know that that sort of thing is far in the future."

"How can I be sure Michiru sees marriage as something 'far in the future'?" Hisagi seemed a little frustrated, apparently not seeing Ichigo's logic.

"If you two do talk about it and you're not sure just mention it casually and see what she says."

"What do you mean?" His eyebrows turned down.

"If marriage comes up say something like you never planned on getting married before you were...I dunno, let's say twenty-five. If she's in a rush to get married, she'll say something about it." Hisagi nodded slowly, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

"It still freaks me out." Ichigo laughed, causing a confused and slightly angry expression to cross Sagi's features.

"It's going to freak you out as long as you keep telling yourself that it freaks you out." Isshin walked into the kitchen through the door connecting to the clinic. He was wearing his long doctor's coat which told us he still had patients to see.

"Hey Shuuhei, how have you been?"

"Hi Isshin, I'm fine thanks." Isshin stopped and looked down at him.

"What's freaking you out?" Hisagi shook his head, brushing off the subject.

"Hisagi's scared that Michiru is going to expect more from him because their one year anniversary is coming up." Ichigo filled his dad in regardless of Sagi's attitude. Isshin sat down at the table next to him.

"What more would she expect from you, you two aren't even having sex." Hisagi rolled his eyes and I was surprised by Isshin's tone. He sounded so positive about his statement. It was obvious that Isshin didn't mean it in a hurtful way, he looked sincerely concerned.

"He's scared to talk about marriage." Isshin smiled and jokingly punched Hisagi's arm.

"Don't be scared, marriage is great and you'd be one lucky guy to marry Michiru."

"We're too young to be talking about that." Isshin shook his head.

"A lot of people talk about marriage, that's no big deal. Talking about it doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen. But yes, you are too young to _get_ married." Hisagi shrugged, still looking unsure. "Look, don't worry about it until that conversation comes up. She might not be ready to talk about it either."

"Yeah, I guess you guys are right." Isshin stood and pushed his chair in.

"So it's the major commitment that scares you?"

"I guess so." Isshin smiled and sighed.

"Can I ask you a personal question?" Hisagi looked up at him and nodded. "Do you think you'd have an issue like this if it were about you and Michiru having sex?" Hisagi's eyebrows turned down.

"Uh, no."

"So you don't consider sex a major commitment?" Shuuhei shrugged in response.

"Not generally but I guess it would be with Michiru." Isshin rolled his eyes and glanced at Ichigo before turning back to Hisagi.

"That's the problem with teenage boys these days. If they realized how big of a commitment it really was, there would be way less teen pregnancies." He turned his attention back to Ichigo. "You better never bring some girl home pregnant or I'll have to kill you." Ichigo laughed and shrugged.

"I'll do my best, Dad." Isshin looked at him sternly.

"I mean it."

"I know Dad, chill out." I smiled up at Isshin and waved off the subject.

"Don't worry Isshin, he has to find a girl dumb enough to sleep with him first." Ichigo elbowed me as Isshin and Hisagi laughed.

"Good thing he's dating such a bright, intelligent girl like yourself." I nodded, smiling in agreement.

"Right," I said glancing over at Ichigo. He narrowed his eyes at me jokingly.

"Yeah, we'll see how long you last." I shrugged as another knock sounded from the door. Ichigo's expression shifted as he turned his attention to the door. Isshin took a step closer but it opened on it's own and he stopped, allowing Renji and Michiru to come in on their own.

"Hey, Isshin. Still working?" Renji led Michiru into the kitchen.

"Yeah, just have a few more patients. What are you guys up to?" Hisagi turned around in his chair and met Michiru's eyes. She stepped around Renji and walked up to the table.

"Hi guys." She smiled at Ichigo and I before addressing Sagi. "I thought you said you were going out with your dad, Hisagi." Her smile was still intact and she didn't seem too bothered to find him so unexpectantly. She leaned against the table, facing him.

"Oh, he bailed on me." Michiru frowned slightly.

"That wasn't very nice of him. Well maybe you can do something this weekend to make up for it." Hisagi nodded, doing a good job of hiding his nervousness.

"Yeah, probably." Michiru's smile returned quickly and she looked back up at Renji expectantly. He looked over at her and nodded.

"I'll be back in a few minutes, 'Chiru." Renji followed Isshin back into the clinic. Hisagi glanced over his shoulder curiously.

"What are you guys up to?"

"You know how Ren asked me to drive Renji over to his doctors appointment?" Hisagi nodded and Ichigo spoke up.

"Why would he need you to drive him?"

"He's grounded and got his car taken away and Ren had to work late today." Ichigo laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Ah." Michiru grinned and nodded.

"Yeah, what's new, right? Anyway, his doctor canceled because one of his other patients went into labor so I brought him here to see Isshin."

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's been complaining about a sore throat and Ren's scared he'll get strep throat if he doesn't get it taken care of. Apparently if he has strep again he'll have to get his tonsils removed." She shrugged and sat down in the chair next to Hisagi. "After this I'm taking him out for ice cream." Hisagi laughed and rolled his eyes. Michiru smiled and shrugged in response. "So what are you doing over here?"

"Just sitting around talking."

"That's nice." She turned towards Ichigo and I, still grinning happily. "I feel like I haven't been able to talk to you guys in forever. I only ever see you at school and on the weekends anymore."

"That's still every weekend." Ichigo smiled down at her as he spoke.

"You know how it is when we're all together, it's insane. It'd be impossible to get the group to quiet down long enough to have a decent conversation."

"Eh, yeah, I guess you're right. I guess we'll have to make more Michiru time in our schedule." She laughed and nodded enthusiastically.

"That would be much appreciated." Renji and Isshin reentered the kitchen, Renji now holding a blue perscription sheet. Michiru looked up at them, looking surprised. "You're done already?"

"Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Isshin, I think you're my new permanent doctor." Isshin laughed and patted his shoulder.

"Sure, I always love to have new patients."

"Thanks again. Come on Michiru." She sighed and got up from the table.

"Bye you guys, I'll see you tomorrow. Bye Sagi." She ruffled up his hair before leaving with Renji who said his own round of goodbyes. Ichigo looked at Hisagi with a strange look on his face.

"She was acting kinda weird, don't you think?"

"Yeah, she was pretty casual and distant but I deserved it. I think she knew I was lying about my dad." He ran a hand through his hair, looking anxious again.

"You were lying about that?"

"I told you I've been making excuses." Ichigo smiled and rolled his eyes. Hisagi pulled out his phone of his pocket and started typing away. "I'll ask her if she's okay."

"Just don't let this fear thing screw anything up with Michiru okay? She's probably like the perfect girl for you.' Hisagi nodded and sat his cell phone on the table.

"Yeah, you're probably right." He picked up his glowing cell and opened his new message. "She says she's fine and wants to know if I've been okay. 'You've been acting a little strange for the past few days.' Yeah, she knows I was lying." He began spelling out his response and stood. After finishing with his message he slid his phone back in his pocket and pushed his chair in. "Thanks for everything guys, I'm gonna go home."

"No problem, I hope we eased some of your worries." Ichigo leaned back and fiddled with his notebook as he spoke.

"You did." Hisagi turned to Isshin and playfully punched his arm. "Bye Dr. Kurosaki, I'll see ya around." Isshin laid his hand on Shuuhei's shoulder and led him towards the door.

"I'll walk you out kiddo." Hisagi nodded and waved at Ichigo and I.

"Bye you two." They left and Ichigo turned to me.

"He's nuts." I smiled and shrugged. I felt bad for him and Michiru. Honestly he should probably talk to her about it but I highly doubted he would.

"I'm just surprised how open he was. I wouldn't expect him or Renji to talk about their feelings like Hisagi just did."

"I thought the same thing until they started coming to me to talk about this stuff on a regular basis." I smiled and raised my eyebrows.

"What are you the relationship guru? The guy who's never had a relationship last longer than two months?" Ichigo grinned and nodded, stretching his arm out on the back of my chair.

"I guess I've been designated as the 'guru', so yes. And don't worry about how long I've had a girlfriend, you're my challenge. I'm going to put up with you as long as I can." I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Then I guess I should put you to the test, really challenge you. Lets see you deal with major mood swings and physical abuse."

"Yeah right, you couldn't hurt me if you tried."

"I bet you twenty bucks that I could." He turned towards me in his chair as Isshin came back into the house.

"Try me." I looked up at Isshin who was regarding us with confusion.

"Do you think I could hurt Ichigo?" He nodded and shoved his hands in the pockets on his doctor's jacket.

"Yes, of course."

"Are you kidding me? She's like skin and bones."

"Son, every man has a common weak spot." Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Well, that's just a low blow, figuratively speaking." He grabbed his notebook and stood. Issshin patted his shoulder in a fatherly fashion before dismissing himself to finish up with his last patient. "I'm done with homework, I'm too off-task." I nodded in agreement and grabbed my own notebook before following him upstairs to put our stuff away. After tossing our school bags back on his bedroom floor I sat down on his bed and kicked off my shoes. He took a seat next to me, putting literally no distance between us, and leaned back on his hands. I leaned back against arm absently.

"Your house is actually quiet for once." Ichigo chuckled under his breath.

"Yeah, the girls are over at a friends house." I nodded, I had already noted their absense when we first arrived at the house.

"I wonder how Kisa's test is going."

"She's probably getting every question right and moving up into the eleventh grade." Ichigo smiled down at me and I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah because that's how that works." I didn't even try to hide the sarcasm in my tone.

"How what works?"

"She gets 100% on a test and is pushed into the next grade?" He shrugged and I laughed. "Then again, I can't assume you would know much about getting 100% on anything."

"Ha ha." He adjusted his arm before pulling it out from under my head. He slid back and laid down on his back. His hands rested behind his head and he looked up at me. "I can't believe we're actually alone. Kon's not attached to your hip today." I smiled and glanced out the window.

"I'm sure they'll be here any minute so I wouldn't get too excited." Ichigo rolled his eyes and pushed his hair out of his face.

"Don't get me wrong, I love Kon and everything but I'm not used to having him around _this_ much. He's with me in the morning, throughout the entire school day, and now he's here every afternoon and night."

"So? It's better than him being at his parent's house. I don't care if you're suffering, I'm glad he's here." Ichigo laughed.

"I know, I didn't mean to sound self-centered or anything. I just wish he would hang out with our other friends once in a while." I nodded and stretched out next to him, resting my weight on my elbows. "How do you like having Kisa around all the time?"

"I love it."

"Really?"

"Really, it's like having a sister again. I love having her around so often and I just love her in general. Once she started opening up to me, I found out how awesome she is. I wouldn't want anyone else to take her place." Ichigo smiled at me and brushed my hair out of my face.

"I'm glad she moved in with you. And Byuakuya's definitely attached to her too."

"Yeah, she's practically replaced me." His eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"She's the favorite." My grin widened, knowing that there was no validity in the statement.

"That's not true."

"I know, but really he acts like Kisa's his daughter or something. I'm just his little sister, Kisa's like his child from another life." Ichigo grabbed one of my hands and absently played with my fingers.

"Is she anymore comfortable with him?"

"Oh yeah, she's not afraid of him or anything. She's actually pretty clingy to him." I heard the front door downstairs open and shut and Ichigo glanced at his door before continuing the conversation.

"How so?"

"She just goes to him with all her issues and whenever she's not hanging out with Kon she's hanging out with Byu. They talk a lot."

"Does that bother you?" I shook my head, answering honestly.

"No, not at all. Kisa really needs Byuakuya and I think he needs her too. She's definitely been a blessing, to both of us."

"I think she'd say the same thing about you and your brother." I shrugged as Kon and Kisa climbed up the stairs. Their feet shuffled down the hall and they stopped in front of Ichigo's door. Kon took her bag and continued down the hallway. She stepped into the room quietly.

"Hey Kisa, how was your test?" She shrugged her shoulders before answering.

"Easy." Ichigo rolled his eyes jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah. Not everyone's a genius like you." She smiled modestly. I turned back to Ichigo.

"Don't worry, you have skills and talents too." 

"Oh really?" He looked down at me skeptically.

"Yes. It can't be easy being as dumb as you are, you must put a lot of effort into that."

"I knew that was coming. I don't understand why you insist on making dumb jokes, last time I checked, my grades were better than yours." Kisa laughed quietly at his retort. I shrugged as Kon entered the room.

"You just come off as a stupid person. I feel like they're appropriate jokes." Kon laughed and suggested we go downstairs and watch a movie.

We hung out at the Kurosaki house for a few hours until it was starting to get late, like we usually did. The night went by quickly and once we were home we ate dinner before heading off to bed. The next day flew by just as rapidly and before I knew it, it was officially the weekend. We had made plans with the rest of the group to stay the night at Renji's house that night so Kisa and I rode in my car to Renji's. I turned to her quickly as I pulled out of the schools parking lot and drove onto the main road.

"Can you text Byuakuya and remind him about our plans?" She nodded and pulled out her phone. Her thumbs started typing away as I got into the turning lane. "So are you starting to feel more comfortable with everyone?" She glanced up at me as she sent her text.

"Yeah, I like everyone. It's just when we're all together in a big group, it's weird."

"You don't like being around so many people?" She shrugged and pushed her hair behind her shoulder.

"I guess it just makes me feel crowded and that makes me feel a little nervous."

"If you feel that way, we don't have to stay all night. We can leave after a few hours, I don't want you to feel like that."

"No, it's fine. It's not a big deal, I should get used to it anyway." I shook my head as I turned into Renji's neighborhood.

"You don't have to get used to anything that makes you feel uncomfortable." Kisa opened a message on her phone and looked up at me after reading it quickly.

"Really, it's not a big deal. I'm fine, okay?" I nodded hesitantly and she laughed quietly. " Don't worry about it." We pulled into Renji's drive way behind Michiru and I parked quickly, noting how close Renji's house was to the school. After turning off the car, we got out and followed Hisagi and Michiru through the front door, bags in hand. Shenji, Renji's father greeted us from the living room and told us to make ourselves comfortable. Hisagi took all of our bags downstairs for us and I sat on the couch next to Shenji. Kisa followed me and Michiru stood in front of us, striking up a conversation with him while we waited for the others to get there.

"How was work today? I bet you're dying for the weekend. It's starting to get hot outside." Shenji nodded and ran a hand through his damp hair.

"We were actually sent home early and the plant was shut down for a few hours. Some guy in the back of the building passed out. It was over a hundred degrees in there today." The temperature was climbing all week but I couldn't imagine how horrible it was to work in a shut up factory all day, one that had no air conditioning. Michiru's eyes widened.

"Oh no, is the man okay?" Shenji smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, he was sent home as soon as he gained conciousness and a few hours later we were all sent home."

"I'm glad, you must have been miserable. Though it feels pretty good in here, I bet you're glad for that air conditioner that you bought last summer." Michiru glanced over as the door opened and Ren led in Tatsuki and Ichigo. Kon and Kiba followed behind, laughing and talking amongst themselves. Shenji turned from their conversation and greeted them.

"Hey guys." They all answered and said their own greeting in return. Ren walked over towards the couch and told us hello as Renji and Mina came in the front door. "How is it that you're the last of fifteen people to make to your own house?" Renji shrugged at his father's comment and headed towards his room without a word. "What's his problem?" Shenji looked up at Michiru for an answer as Hisagi reentered the room. She smiled and shrugged.

"He said something earlier about not getting enough sleep last night." Shenji rolled his eyes and leaned back in his seat.

"Drama queen." Hisagi and Kiba laughed as Tatsuki and Ichigo headed downstairs with their bags. Michiru shook her head and placed her hands on her hips.

"You know Renji would probably respect you more if you weren't so mean."

"Please, you couldn't pay that kid all the money in the world to respect anyone, let alone his father." Ren nodded in agreement with a contented smile on her face. Everyone started sitting, filling open spots on the two couches quickly. Kon and Ren sat on the arms of the furniture but they didn't seem to mind. Kiba sat in the open seat next to Kisa and Hisagi and Michiru took the love seat. Kisa slid closer to me, putting some distance between her and Kiba. I moved closer to Shenji to give them more space, knowing that she was probably feeling uncomfortable. Tatsuki and Ichigo returned to the living room.

"Where are Renji and Mina?" Ren looked up at the two questioningly.

"Mina said she's coming up but I think Renji's taking a nap. He sorta crashed on his bed." Tatsuki answered, running a hand through her hair. Ren stood, a now concerned look on her face.

"I hope he's not getting sick again. I'll be right back." She spoke to her husband before heading towards Renji's room. Tatsuki took her spot, sitting on the arm of the couch closest to Shenji. Ichigo settled for standing when he realized his only other option was to sit on the floor. Shenji turned his attention to Kon once everyone settled into silence.

"How're you feeling? You've been out of the hosptial for like a week, right? Are you still in any pain?" Kon shook his head.

"I've been pretty good, I feel a lot better. Thanks for asking." Michiru joined in the conversation, turning towards Kon.

"Have you spoken with your mother since you were taken to the hospital?"

"Yeah, she came in to see me a few times but I haven't seen her at home at all. I don't think she's been going to work. Her car never leaves the house." 'Chiru's eyebrows turned down.

"Does she normally skip work like that?" Kon shrugged in response.

"She never really had a set schedule, I couldn't really say-" He cut himself off, his attention going to Mina who was walking into the room with a phone to her ear, she walked up to the couch, stopping in front of me, and handed over my cell phone.

"Your phone went off downstairs and when I saw your brother was calling, I thought I'd answer." I nodded, thanked her and took the phone.

"Hello?" I stood and walked towards the hallway as conversation picked up. My brother's voice sounded grave on the other end causing me to worry.

"Rukia you need to bring Kisa home, now."

"Why? Is everything okay?"

"Just get her stuff and bring her home." I was really starting to panic, not sure of his behavior and tone.

"I'm not leaving until you tell me why, Byuakuya." He sighed, sounding exhausted.

"Her father came to get her."

"What? He can't just take her like that!" I noticed Kiba peak around the corner, glancing curiously at me. I ignored him and listened to my brother's explaination.

"He showed up with a police officer. His legal custody of Kisa was never taken away and he wants to take her home." I could definitely sense his anger and fear of the situation. Honestly, I couldn't believe they would let her go back with him so easily but I realized I couldn't just rebel against a police officer. I sighed, feeling scared and nervous.

"I'll be there soon."

"Bye." With that, the line died and I ended the call. I rested against the wall and stared off, lost in thought. I didn't hear the person approaching and jumped when they rested their hand on my shoulder. I blinked a few times before looking up at Ichigo.

"Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay?"

"Kisa's dad is at my house with a cop. He still has legal custody of her and-" I gripped my phone in my hand tightly, anger building up in me. "She has to go home with that stupid bastard." Ichigo's eyes widened slightly.

"What?"

"I have to go, I'll come back once she's gone." I headed towards the living room and Ichigo followed a few steps behind. I stopped in front of Kisa and took a deep breath before speaking. "Hey, Byuakuya needs us home." She looked up at me and nodded.

"Okay." Ichigo walked around me, saying that he'd go get our bags. I apologized to everyone and thanked Shenji for having us over.

"Is everything okay?" Michiru looked up at us as we were leaving.

"Um, I think so. He didn't really say what he needed." I decided not to mention any of the situation to Kisa because knowing her she'd panic. Michiru nodded and everyone shouted out a goodbye. Ichigo met us at my car and tossed Kisa's bag in back seat carefully.

"I think I'm going to go with you guys."

"No, just stay here." I pulled open my door and slid in.

"Rukia-"

"Ichigo, stay here. There's no reason for you to come with us." He sighed and nodded.

"Bye." His eyes went to Kisa. "I'll see you later Kisa, have a good weekend." She smiled back before answering.

"Goodbye." Ichigo pushed my door shut and I started to car. We backed out of the drive way in silence. I noticed Kisa glancing over at me in my peripheral vision. "Is everything okay? You seem...upset." I sighed, knowing that I couldn't keep it from her any longer.

"Byuakuya said that your dad is at our house with a police officer. He's taking you home with him." My eyes stayed on the road avoiding her gaze.

"What? I don't-" She cut herself off, resting her head in her hands.

"Kisa if he does anything to you, you need to call the police. Once they know what's been going on, they'll get you out of there. If you keep hiding it like you used to, you could end up like Kon." She didn't say anything in response, she simply shook her head. We continued driving in silence, the whole ride she didn't say another word. After about a ten minute ride I reluctantly pulled into our drive way. I killed the engine, unbuckled, and looked over at Kisa. "If you need anything, call me. Okay? Day or night, contact me if you need anything." When I realized she still wasn't going to say anything, I glanced up at the house. Her father and the police officer were standing on our porch and the door was closed. Mr. Otaka stared us down as we got out of the car and approached the house. I stood between Kisa and the two men. Without saying anything to them, I led Kisa into the house and ran into Byuakuya. He looked down at us, a miserable expression on his face.

"We're going to go get her stuff." I looked up at him, receiving a nod, before leading Kisa upstairs. She continued to follow me silently. When we got to her room she started packing the clothes she did have at the house and her other belongs, donning a scarily neutral look. "Are you okay?" She nodded silently. "Are you scared?" Again she nodded. "I'm so sorry you have to go back. I wish you could stay with us."

"It's not your fault, you have nothing to apologize for."

"Yes there is, we should've figured that we would have to get legal guardianship of you. We should've done something sooner to keep you away from that son of a bitch." She shook her head as she zipped up her bag.

"I'm not your responibility, you guys have done enough for me and I appreciate you letting me live with you." She sighed and stood before heading out the door. I followed her and when we reached the bottom of the stairs I could hear Byuakuya talking outside. Kisa pulled open the front door and stepped onto the porch. Her father glanced down at her with a neutral, if not bored, expression on his face.

"Come on, it's time to leave." His voice wasn't harsh but it wasn't friendly either. He didn't seem to miss her at all, not that I expected him to. Kisa glanced at me and I couldn't keep the frown from spreading over my face.

"Bye."

"Goodbye." Her voice was low and I could tell she was intimidated with her father's presence. I hugged her tightly and tried to control myself. It was surprising how intense my emotions were, it reminded me of the day Hisana slipped into a coma. I felt like I would never get the chance to talk to Kisa again and irrational fear hit me. I let her go and Byu quickly approached her. He wrapped his arms around her and picked her up off the ground. She hugged onto his neck, her head resting on his shoulder. Mr. Otaka sighed and folded his arms. Byuakuya put her down and pulled away, ignoring her father's impatience.

"I want you and your father to know that you're always welcome here." She nodded and quickly glanced at her dad before heading towards his car. She opened the back door, tossed her bag inside and slid in. Mr. Otaka turned and left without another word. The officer told us to have a good day and headed towards his own car. Byaukuya and I stayed on the porch until they had all left. I turned and looked inside the house, it already felt emptier.

"Are you okay, Byu?" I glanced up to see his extremely upset face.

"Yes, thank you." I hugged him, worried. He returned the gesture and sighed.

"You don't seem okay. I told Ichigo I would go back to Renji's after Kisa left but I think I'm gonna stay here."

"No, Rukia, go ahead. Don't worry about me, I'll be fine." I shook my head and pulled away from him.

"I can't leave you all by yourself, you look like you just lost your best friend." He smiled slightly and ran a hand through his hair.

"I _feel_ like I lost my best friend but I'll be okay. I should've realized that she couldn't stay forever." I opened my mouth to protest but he held up his hands, cutting me off. "Go, try to have fun okay? I promise I'll do anything I can to make sure Kisa's safe with her father." I nodded and pushed my bangs out of my face. I was about to turn and head back towards my car but he hugged me again, tightly this time. "I love you, Rukia."

"I love you, too." I pulled away slightly, looking up at him. "You're sure you don't want me to stay with you?"

"I'm positive. I've got some work to do anyways, it should keep me preoccupied." Nodding, I reluctantly stepped back.

"Okay, I'll text you later, bye."

"Bye, have fun." Once I was back in my car, I felt lonliness hit me and forced myself to push the emotions away. I could feel myself go into a manual state while I tried to keep Kisa off my mind. I drove in the direction of Renji's house with the radio on to fill the silence.

-:-

**Okay, I'm really sorry for the late update! Last weekend was so spastic and busy, I really wanted to write but people continued to call me up and drag me out of my house. I'm also sorry that this chapter isn't as long as the others. In some ways it feels like a filler chapter but believe me, it has it's importance. I hope you enjoyed and I'll begin on the next chapter right away! Please tell me what ya think! ;D**


	13. Chapter 13

**Okay! I'm back and I hope to get this out to you guys this weekend! I hate not being able to write when I want to but that's just how it goes. Anywho, I think this chapter might be another one of the shorter ones and it might have some actiony stuff in it but I'm not sure how this one is going to span out. Anyways here's chapter 13!**

-:-

Kisa had been taken home on Friday, two days ago. I tried texting her every few hours but never got an answer. If anything that only made me worry more. Byuakuya continued to tell me that I needed to calm down. He tried to reassure me that she was fine but I knew he was a little worried himself. Kon was really angry with me when he found out that Kisa's dad had taken her home to stay. He said that I should've told him and said that we should've tried talking to the police officer about their situation. I felt so guilty, I never thought about letting Kon know. He hadn't been able to see her or talk to her either. Ichigo, Kon, Byuakuya, and I were all trying to text her or call her cell phone. We never got her home number, though we probably wouldn't have used it anyway because there was a posibility of Mr. Otaka picking up. On Sunday Ichigo came over to hang out around noon but this time Kon didn't come with was still no news from Kisa and it was eating at me. We were sitting in the downstairs living room watching a movie but I hardly paid it any attention.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo nudged me with his elbow and looked down at me.

"Yeah."

"You know we can turn the television off if you want." I shrugged and leaned back, pulling the blanket resting over our laps closer. "You're obviously not watching it."

"I don't care." His eyebrows turned down and he reached for the remote before clicking off the tv. The house was completely silent once the sound of the movie was quieted. Byuakuya was out taking papers to his office and doing some work there so aside from Ichigo and I, the house was empty.

"What's wrong, Rukia?" He tossed the remote control back on the coffee table and leaned back next to me. "Are you still worrying about Kisa?" I nodded and earned a sigh in response.

"I can't help it, Ichigo. I don't want her to get hurt."

"I don't either but you can push it out of your mind once in a while. You've been spacey since she left on Friday and I know it's because you're stressing about it." He stretched his legs out, laying them over the coffee table, and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. "Please just try not to think about it, okay?"

"Okay." I laid my head against his arm and sighed tiredly.

We sat in silence for the next few minutes and I closed my eyes, leaning closer to Ichigo. He wrapped his other arm around me and rested his head back against the couch. I felt myself drifting off quickly, between the silence and being so warm it wasn't hard to fall asleep. Within a few more minutes I was completely unconscious.

-:-

A loud slamming sound woke me up, making me jump awake. I blinked a few times before looking up to see my brother standing by the coffee table. His work folders were spread out over the surface of the little table and his arms were folded. I sighed and leaned back against the couch.

"What was that about? You scared me, Byu." My brother smiled slightly before pushing my disheveled hair out of my face.

"What are you guys doing sleeping at three in the afternoon?" I looked over at Ichigo who was still stretched out on the couch sleeping, his legs hanging over the edge of the furniture. I shrugged and turned back to Byuakuya.

"We were bored, nothing to do."

"Have you done your homework?" I thought about the assigned school work from Friday and shook my head. "That would be a good idea, don't you think?"

"I don't want to..." He sat down on the arm of the couch.

"You still have to do it, your grades are going to slip if you're not careful."

"No they won't, I'll do it later." His smile widened slightly as my phone started ringing loudly. It slid across the coffee table as it vibrated, waking Ichigo. I grabbed the loud device and answered it absently. "Hello?"

"Rukia? Hey, um, can I talk to you?" My eyebrows turned down at the unfamiliar voice. I pulled the phone away and checked the screen to see Tatsuki's name above the number. After putting it back up to my ear I heard her continuing. "Rukia?"

"Sorry, I wasn't sure who you were." It was really uncommon for me to hear from her. Over the last few weeks I hadn't really gotten to know Tatsuki very well and she acted like she didn't like me very much. "Uh, yeah we can talk, what's up?'

"No, can you meet me somewhere? Wait, is Ichigo with you?"

"Yeah, would you rather talk to him?"

"No! Can you come without him?" She sounded really panicked which worried me. "What if we meet at the coffee place close to your house."

"Now?"

"Can you do it now?" I glanced over at Ichigo before turning away, shrugging absently.

"Yeah, I guess."

"Don't let Ichigo come okay? I don't want him here."

"Is everything okay? You sound a little...scared." I heard her sigh on the other line, her breath was shakey.

"I'll tell you about it there. Thanks I appreciate it, I'm leaving now." She hung up without another word. I clicked off the phone and pushed off the blanket laying over my legs. Byuakuya looked down at me concerned.

"What's wrong?"

"Tatsuki said she wanted to talk to me, now, so I guess I'm gonna go meet her." Ichigo sat up, his eyebrows turned down.

"Did she tell you what she wanted to talk about?"

"No but she doesn't want you there." I stood and tossed the blanket on Ichigo's legs.

"She said that?"

"Yeah, did you do something to piss her off or something?" He shook his hand and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, I have to go. She said she was leaving her place now." Ichigo stood from the couch and stretched his arms over his head. "You don't have to get up, it's not like we're kicking you out. I'll be back soon, I assume."

"Eh, Byuakuya's probably sick of seeing me all the time." He smiled over at my brother and started looking for his shoes.

"Are you kidding? You're practically his new best friend. Besides if you leave he'll just work more, keep him company." Byu stood from the couch and nodded.

"You can stay, I don't mind." I grabbed my keys off the coffee table and slid into my shoes while they continued to talk. I took a few steps closer to the door, slipping my phone into the pocket of my sweatpants.

"I'll be back soon, bye guys." I pushed open the door and glanced at the drive way before stopping midstep. I turned back to Ichigo before tossing my keys back on the couch. "Give me your keys, I'm taking your truck."

"Why?" He dug in his pocket for his keys regardless.

"It's blocking my car and it's easier than waiting for you to move it." He nodded and walked around Byuakuya to hand over his keys. "Thanks, I'll see you later."

"Bye." I waved and headed out the door, approaching his huge truck. After getting in and starting the loud engine, I backed out and quickly made my way to the coffee shop Tatsuki was referring to. The shop was only about five minutes away and when I pulled into the parking lot I saw her slightly familiar car sitting in front of the open windowed business. I parked next to her and quickly turned off the noisy truck. I grabbed the keys and my wallet before sliding out of the vehicle, locking it on my way inside. When I entered the shop I spotted Tatsuki sitting at a table in the corner of the room. Instead of approaching the register, I walked over to her.

"Hey Tatsuki, you okay?" She was tapping the table absently, looking distracted and nervous.

"Yeah, thanks for coming. I had to talk to someone." I sat across from her and laid my belongings on the table. "Why'd you drive Ichigo's truck? I hate that thing." I smiled and glanced out the window at the old rusty vehicle.

"It was blocking my car and this was easier. It feels huge when you're driving it." She nodded and looked down at her cup of coffee.

"You can go order something if you want. I can wait a few minutes."

"Nah, I don't feel like coffee right now." She took a sip of her drink and pushed it aside. "So, what's up?" She finally met my eyes, looking scared.

"I'm in deep shit." Tatsuki shook her head, resting her elbows on the table. She opened her mouth to continue but I held up my hand, cutting her off.

"Before you tell me, can I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"Are you sure you want to tell this to _me_? I mean, we don't know each other very well and this seems fairly serious."

"I'm positive, I can't tell anyone else." Her eyebrows turned down and she looked sure about her decision.

"Is it about me or something? I don't understand why you can't tell Michiru or Ichigo."

"It's not about you or anything, just let me tell you." I nodded and sat back against the cushioned seat. "I'm...pregnant." My eyes widened at her statement and I was only more confused as to why she wanted to tell me.

"Wow..."

"Rukia, I don't know what to do. I'm really scared."

"Have you told Kiba?" She shook her head again, her eyes on her coffee cup. "Why not?"

"He's going to be so pissed."

"So? It's just as much his responsibility as it is yours." I leaned forward, resting my arms on the table. "You really should tell him soon. Have you told your parents?"

"No, they'd kill me."

"Am I the first person you told?" She hesitantly nodded, a guilty look on her face.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into my problems but Michiru would be so judgemental and Ichigo would probably react worse than my parents. I just had to tell someone and...I kept trying to find a reason why I shouldn't tell you. I couldn't, I had no reason not to tell you."

"You should really tell Kiba. He has to know." Tatsuki pushed her coffee aside and glanced at a few people who were walking into the shop. Her eyes returned to me after a short moment of silence.

"Rukia, I can't keep this baby. I can't _have_ it. I'm in high school, this could screw everything up." Her voice was lower than before.

"What are you saying?"

"If I can...take care of this pretty soon I wouldn't have to tell anyone. I mean-"

"You want to _abort_ it?" I tried to keep my voice under control but I still earned a glare from her.

"I can't take care of a baby! This will ruin my relationship with my family, I won't be able to finish school, it's going to ruin things with Kiba. A baby is a huge committment for only dating someone for two and a half months."

"I can't even imagine how scared you are but Tatsuki, you made the choice to have sex. You can't just dump off your responsibilities like that. You know that's not a logical or fair solution. Besides I learned that it's extremely painful and can do a lot of damage. It could prevent you from having kids in the future, Tatsuki." She laid her head in her hands and sighed.

"What do I do then?"

"Have you thought about adoption?" She shrugged and I smiled at her lack of interest. "Tatsuki, this would be a lot easier if you told Kiba. I know you're scared but he can take some of this stress off your shoulders. I really advice you to tell him. You two need to make this decision together." She stared down at the table for a few moments before nodding.

"You're right..."

"If you need to talk to me about anything else or if you need anything, just let me know okay? I'll help you guys however I can."

"Thank you Rukia, that means a lot to me." I smiled and patted her arm.

"No problem, I wouldn't want to deal with this sort of thing alone either." I absently grabbed Ichigo's keys and shifted in my seat, a little eager to head home. She sat there quietly for another moment of silence before smiling at me.

"So you and Ichigo are getting pretty serious." It was more of a statement with the slightest inflection in her voice.

"Well, not to sound rude, but not as serious as you and Kiba." She laughed and held up her hands.

"Don't worry, it's nice to lighten the mood." She took another drink of her coffee before continuing. "You two spend a lot of time together, you must really like him or just tolerate him." I smiled and shrugged.

"It's a little of both." I sat the clinking keys back down and continued. "Yeah, I really like Ichigo, he's so fun to be around." She cocked an eyebrow and leaned back.

"Yeah but only for so long, how do you put up with him everyday? Don't get me wrong, I love him but he gets annoying."

"Of course you think that, he's your friend. If you could put up with him like I do _you'd_ be dating him."

"Hell no, I would never date Ichigo, even if I could stand him on a daily basis. He's practically a brother to me."

"I didn't know you guys were that close." She shrugged and pushed her bangs out of her face.

"We were until I moved. I used to live in Kon's house but we moved to a better neighborhood five years ago. Now Kon's his best friend." Tatsuki smiled, looking a little upset by the statement. "But you know all about that, don't you?" I laughed and raised my eyebrows.

"Oh yeah and it's only like twenty times worse with Kisa and Kon 'dating'." I waved my hand, gesturing absently. "Not really, I think I love Kon more than Ichigo does." She chuckled and nodded.

"I did notice that, you two are practically besties." I shrugged.

"What can I say?"

"Well, I'm glad Ichigo finally got a good girlfriend. His other ones were either dumb as shit or whores." My brow creased in confusion.

"...all of them?"

"Pretty much. Let's just say, you're definitely the smartest one he's had."

"Is that an insult?" She laughed and shook her head, nudging her empty cup away.

"No, it's just the truth. I think you're really good for him, I haven't seen him this happy in a long time. I hope he makes you just as happy."

"Oh yeah, he does. I'd never tell him that but he does."

"Good." She stood and stretched before grabbing her cup. "Thanks again for talking with me, I really needed to tell someone." I pocketed Ichigo's keys and stood also.

"Don't worry about it, I really hope things work out okay. And remember, if you need me just call."

"Okay, will do." I glanced out the window at Ichigo's truck again. "Will you please keep this from Ichigo?" I turned back to her and nodded.

"Yeah, it's not my place to tell him. I won't say a word."

"Thanks again." She hugged me quickly and pulled away before I had time to respond. "This was nice, aside from the terrible news and situation I'm in. We should talk more often, if you ever need someone to talk to, feel free to come to me."

"That would be great, I was just thinking about how little we really know each other." We headed towards the door and she threw away her cup as we made our way outside. "I'll talk to you later, let me know how things go with Kiba."

"Okay will do, see ya tomorrow." I held my hand up in a wave as I walked towards the truck. I pulled myself in and started the ignition. I backed out and headed towards the exit before Tatsuki had even started her car. It looked like she was texting someone, the keys dangling from the ignition. I turned onto the main road quickly, beating an approaching car. As I approached a stoplight my phone started ringing loudly in the pocket of my sweats. I pulled it out and flipped it open, pushing the speaker phone button and sitting it on the seat next to me.

"Hello?" I spoke loudly, hoping to be heard over the loud raddle of the engine.

"Rukia?" The familiar voice sounded like Kisa so I took a glance at my phone, hoping to see her name. There was only an unknown number with no name.

"Kisa? Oh my god, I've been worrying about you all weekend. Are you okay?"

"My dad wanted me to tell you that you guys need to stop calling and texting my phone. I don't have it right now and he doesn't want it to go off all the time." Her voice was flat and dull, she sounded miserable.

"Are you okay? How are things over there?" I ignored her statement, knowing that her dad probably forced her to call and say it. There was some shuffling on the other line and a click, then the line went dead. I sighed and flipped my phone shut before changing lanes. I made an impulsive decision and started in the direction of the Otaka house. I sped up slightly, hoping to get a chance to see Kisa. After about ten minutes of driving I reached the neighborhood. I slowed down slightly, being cautious of any children outside. I finally reached the house and pulled into the drive way. I quickly parked and killed the engine. After sliding out of the car I hurried towards the door and banged on it with my fist loudly. There was a moment of silence so I continued hitting the door. I heard shuffling and within a moment of time the front door was yanked open. Mr. Otaka stood in the doorway looking exhausted and reeking of alcohal.

"What the hell do you want?" I stepped back, uncomfortable with the anger in his tone and stance.

"I want to see Kisa."

"No, get the fuck off my property." He pushed the door, closing it but I held it open with the palm of my hand.

"I just want to talk to her." He grabbed my wrist tightly.

"Get the fuck away from us now before you regret wasting your time and energy on _Kisa_." Mr. Otaka let go of my hand and shoved me off the porch step angrily. He slammed the door shut loudly and I could hear him lock the dead bolt. I glared angrily at the door, before glancing toward one of the front windows. The blinds were drawn but I could see Kisa peaking out of it. She met my eyes and quickly pulled away from the window out of sight. I sighed and headed towards the truck. I did not want to leave without talking to her alone but there was no chance of that happening with her dad around. After starting the truck and hesitantly putting in reverse, I held my foot on the brake and slammed on the horn, holding it out for at least ten seconds. Mr. Otaka came stomping out the front door, stopping in the yard. I backed out of the drive way, put it in drive and flipped him the bird before driving towards the exit, leaving him fuming in the front yard.

With anger fueling me I drove quickly towards home, making what should've been a fifteen to twenty minute trip in less than ten minutes. Before long I was parking Ichigo's truck behind my car and killing the engine. I pulled the keys out of the ignition for the millionth time in the last hour. I grabbed my phone from the seat and headed towards the house. When I entered the living room I was greeted with the smell of dinner and Byuakuya's calls.

"Rukia? Come here." I kicked of my shoes off before stomping to the kitchen. Byuakuya was standing by the oven, cooking and Ichigo sat at the table.

"What?" I folded my arms after lobbing Ichigo his keys. They both looked at me with concerned expressions.

"What's wrong? Is everything okay?" I shook my head, brushing it off.

"I'll tell you about it in a few minutes, what do you want?" Byu glanced at Ichigo but quickly returned his attention to me.

"I was just going to tell you that Kaminari called you while you were out. She wants you to call her back sometime tonight." I rolled my eyes and nodded. "What's wrong Ruk?"

"On my way home I got a call from Kisa and her dad made her hang up on me so I drove over to her house to talk to her. When I got there the stupid bastard wouldn't let me even see her. The stupid son of a bitch pisses me off."

"So you didn't see her at all?"

"I saw her looking out her window but as soon as I noticed her she shut the blinds." Byuakuya's expression went blank momentarily and he turned back to the stove top. A glare rested on my brow, I was still pissed about Mr. Otaka. Ichigo reached out and grabbed my arm, pulling me closer to the table.

"How was your chat with Tatsuki?" I blinked, my anger subsiding .

"Um...it was interesting."

"What was it about?" I shook my head, pulling my arm away from him.

"I can't tell you, I promised." He smiled and rolled his eyes.

"Are you serious? Does it have to do with me or something?"

"No she just doesn't want anyone to know."

"Why'd she tell you?" I shrugged and sat down in the chair next to him.

"She needed to talk to someone."

"You're sure you can't tell me?"

"Positive." He sighed and nodded, lightly tapping his knuckles on the table. "What have you guys been up to?" Ichigo smiled and glanced over at Byuakuya.

"Well we talked about you a lot and he showed me a home video of Hisana waking you up on your birthday a few years ago." I laughed and shook my head at the memory. "I never thought you could get shorter but holy crap, you were _tiny!_"

"I'm glad that's what you got from that video." He smiled and shook his head.

"You're sister was tiny too, like your height now. She's a grown woman, it's unnatural. Are you going to be this short forever? Is this what I have to look forward to in the future? Junior high Rukia?"

"Shut up, like it or leave it." He laughed and grabbed my hand.

"How about tolerate it?" I pulled away and folded my arms. His grin widened and he turned towards Byu again. "Was Sana's height ever an issue for you?" Byuakuya turned to us, a small smile on his face.

"No, I mean I always noticed it but I never once said anything about it."

"_Ever?_ How?"

"Well, I was trying to get her to like me, Ichigo. I'm surprised Rukia puts up with it. She's gotten into multiple fist fights over that." Ichigo turned to me, a look of shock on his face.

"You got into fist fights because someone mentioned your height?" I sighed, slightly annoyed at his reaction.

"Yeah."

"Does it bother you that much?"

"What, no. That was when I was living in that kids center. I had major anger issues and once in a while I'd...get into fights." Byuakuya laughed quiety, smiling over at me warmly.

"She won every time. She even broke one kid's nose."

"Holy shit, Rukia! That's awesome, I'm so proud of you. You really had anger issues?" I nodded, hating the memories of those years away from my sister.

"Rukia didn't really know how to express her feelings in a healthy way when she was little. She covered everything with anger." Ichigo grabbed my hand again, a more serious expression on his face.

"See, not funny." He smiled at my comment and nodded.

"I'll never joke about your height again. I would not want a broken nose. That is, if you can reach my nose." His smile widened and I jokingly raised a fist.

"It's pretty close to me right now." Ichigo and Byuakuya both laughed as I stood, pulling my hand away from Ichigo yet again. "I'm gonna go call Kaminari, see what she wants." I left them in the kitchen, approaching the couch to pick up my phone. Once I had it in hand I went through my contacts quicky before reaching her number and hitting the call button. As the line rang, I absently walked towards the hallway, leaning against the wall.

"Hello?" Kaminari's voice rang on the other line.

"Hey, why'd you call?"

"Oh, hi Rukia." Her tone was flat, she sounded super pissed and I wasn't sure why. "I just called to see how you and your _boyfriend_ were doing. You know, the guy **I** was interested in." I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"We're fine, thanks for asking."

"Shut up, that was such a bitchy thing for you to do. I told you I wanted to get his number after you said that you two were 'just friends' and what do you do? Ask him on a date the same evening. What kind of a cousin are you?"

"First of all, he asked me out that night for the second time that day. And second of-" She spoke up, interupting me loudly.

"That doesn't matter, you still said yes! God, you're so pathetic, Rukia. Are you that desperate and lonely that you only dated him because I wanted him?" My eyebrows turned down as she yelled into her phone, obviously overly upset about the whole situation.

"What are you talking about? Honestly, I hate the fact that I'm dating someone you like, it makes me feel like were somewhat similar to each other even though I know we're not. Look, if you're just going to yell about this, I'm hanging up."

"I have every right to be mad at you, you stole him from me."

"You met him once and he doesn't like you." She grunted in disagreement.

"But he likes you? That doesn't make sense."

"We're obviously going nowhere with this so I'm going to go."

"I'm calling Ichigo, I want to know how he really feels." I laughed quietly, amused with her psycho behavior.

"He's here, if you want I'll just give him the phone."

"Yes, do that." I pushed myself off the wall and headed back towards the kitchen. Ichigo looked up at me, a curious expression residing on his face. I handed him the phone, eager to dispense of it, without explanation.

"Hello?" I could hear Kaminari talking loudly on the other line, instantly noticing the difference in her tone. Once Ichigo knew who he was talking to he glared up at me but I simply ignored him and walked over to the stove next to Byuakuya. Byu glanced over at Ichigo before looking down at me.

"Who's he talking to?"

"Kaminari." Byuakuya's eyebrows turned down as he twisted the knob on the stove, turning the eye off.

"Why?"

"She's upset with me because she 'likes' Ichigo." 'Yuakuya smiled and nodded.

"Ah." He stepped back from the stove and glanced over at Ichigo again, who was still glaring at me. His responses to Kaminari were short and generic, his face giving away his annoyance. After a few more moments he cut in and made an excuse to go. I could hear her protest but he persisted before hanging up.

"What the hell, Rukia?"

"What? She was going to call you anyway."

"Why did you ever introduce me to her?" I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"If I remember right, you invited yourself over and when we got home she was here so don't even blame me." He sighed and sat my phone on the table.

"Well, I never want to talk to her again." I laughed, leaning back against the counter.

"Me either." Byuakuya shook his head, loooking down at me disapprovingly.

"Rukia, she's your cousin."

"No, she's your family. I can't stand her anymore." He sighed.

"Please don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're not part of my family." I shrugged, in response causing him to sigh again before turning to the cabinet and pulling out three plates. He walked over to the table and silently started setting the table, obviously upset.

"I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, of course I'm part of your family." He nodded as he retrieved utensils and glasses.

"I know you didn't." I glanced at Ichigo who was observing us silently and decided to preserve the conversation for later. Instead of responding verbally I approached him and hugged him tightly, surprising him. He returned the gesture, obviously happy with my actions, and pulled away. No longer upset, he turned and finished setting the table. I stepped towards the fridge and pulled out a pitcher of tea before filling the three glasses on the table.

The rest of the evening went by without any more little kinks in the conversation and we all sat around the table for at least an hour, eating and talking. Ichigo stayed until nine before heading out, leaving Byuakuya and I alone. I readdressed the topic of our family issue and we talked it out a little. The whole night I was hoping to get another phone call from Kisa but never did. I didn't want to text her and get her father all pissy but I needed to contact her soon. Although I pushed away that fear that she might be hurt, it continued to grow and grow since I had talked to her father earlier that day. The smell of alcohal on him was so strong and his anger induced outbreaks made me feel uneasy. That night I couldn't get to bed soon enough. I couldn't wait to see Kisa at school the next day.

-:-

The next day I woke up late and rushed to get ready, leaving for school without sitting down to eat breakfast. While heading out the door my phone went off in my hand. I ignored it long enough to get in my car and get buckled up. The message was from Ichigo and it read "Where are you?" I answered, finally realizing just how late I really was.

The school day flew by and when lunch came around, I noticed that Kisa wasn't there. I asked Kon about it but he gave me a short response, seeming uninterested and angry. The days progressed and by Thursday there was still no sign of Kisa. No one heard from her at all and she still hadn't been to school. I was really starting to panic over her situation and suggested multiple times to Byuakuya that we go over and check on her. He always said that we had no proof or reason to go and could potentionally make the whole thing worse. I never saw his logic so I brought it up with Ichigo and Renji. Kisa had been gone from school from a whole week and our sensai mentioned that the school was having trouble getting ahold of her father. That day at lunch was the day I suggested to the guys that we go to her house and see if she was okay. I sat facing both Renji and Ichigo, we were sort of seperated from the rest of the group but their attention eventually went to us. Hisagi leaned back on his hands and addressed us.

"We should all go to her house and beat the shit out of her dad." He spoke directly to the guys, his tone giving away his anger. Renji nodded, turning his attention to Hisagi.

"I totally agree, something's got to be going on. Kisa wouldn't miss school like this if something wasn't wrong." I glanced over at Kon who was trying to act like he wasn't listening. He was still really mad at me and obviously upset about Kisa. I turned my attention back to Renji, pushing my concern away momentarily.

"I think a few of us should go over there and try to talk to Kisa. If, god forbid, anything did happen like the last time we were there then you guys can kick his ass." Ichigo shook his head.

"You cannot let them go over there with the intention of kicking anyone's ass, they'll provoke him and probably start something unnecessary. But I do think going over there is a good idea. She's been gone for so long, someone has to check on her." I nodded in agreement, happy that they agreed with me, unlike Byu. "We should go today, the sooner the better."

"I'll go," Renji said, pushing away his half eaten lunch. Hisagi nodded, stretching his legs out in front of him over Michiru's lap.

"Me too." Ichigo nodded before looking over at Kon.

"Do you want to come?" Kon looked up at Ichigo for a few moments before nodding. "Okay, we'll get together in the parking lot and figure out exactly what we're going to do."

The rest of the day crawled by, I couldn't focus on any of our lessons. My mind was constantly going back to our plans after school. Finally after our last three lessons were over, the final bell rang, dismissing us for the day. I quickly packed up my books and folders before standing. I pulled my keys and my cell phone out of my bag and leaned back against the top of my desk, facing Ichigo. I dialed my brother's number and waited for him to pick up.

"Hey, Rukia."

"Hi Byu. I just wanted to let you know that Ichigo and I are going to hang out with a few friends after school today." I glanced over at Hisagi who was standing with Renji. "It shouldn't take too long but I might go over to his house afterwards, it just depends."

"Alright, just let me know. Have fun, love you."

"I love you, too. Bye, Byu." I hung up and dropped my phone back in my bag. Ichigo stood from his seat and grabbed my hand, leading me out the door. Renji and Hisagi followed us out the door with Kon and Michiru behind them. We continued walking as a group until we reached Ichigo's truck. Renji was the first one to speak up about an official plan.

"I think we should force our way into the house as soon as he opens the door." Ichigo shook his head.

"We can't just go into the house, that's going to piss him off and put us in a bad position. If anything did happen he could tell the police that we broke into his house."

"That's the only way we're going to even get a chance to see Kisa. Didn't you hear Rukia's story? He wouldn't let _her_ inside, you think he'll let four huge guys in his house willingly?" Renji folded his arms, getting agitated. "This is serious shit and if we even think that Kisa could be hurt in that house, I'm willing to get in trouble with the law to find out." Ichigo sighed, pulling his hand away from me and folding his arms as well.

"That's very noble of you Renji but there has to be a better way."

"Then what do you think we should do?" He was obviously getting annoyed with Ichigo, his eyebrows were turned down in an angry glare and he looked really tense.

"I was thinking about it and we should just play off the guys actions. We don't know if he'll be drunk or sober, we can't really predict whether or not he'll let us in. That's all we really can do, just go and ask to see Kisa."

"Whatever, man."

"Renji believe me, if we **have** to, I will give you every oppurtunity to beat the shit out of him." He nodded in response to Ichigo but said nothing else. Everyone split up and headed towards their vehicles. As I was walking towards my car, I noticed Kon following a few steps behind me. Instead of saying anything I got in the car, unlocked the passenger door, and started the engine. He got in, still not saying anything. I buckled up and turned to him.

"Didn't wanna ride with Ichigo?" He shook his head, staring out of the windshield.

"I'm sorry for being such a jerk, Rukia."

"What? You weren't being a jerk, what are you talking about." He looked down at his hands as he spoke.

"I blamed you for something that was out of your control and I took my anger out on you. I'm sorry."

"I don't care, I should've told you. I'm sorry." He nodded, still not looking at me so I patted his shoulder and told him to buckle up before putting the car in reverse and backing out of my parking spot. The ride to Kisa's was silent but definitely comfortable. I followed behind Renji's truck although it was hard to keep up with him, he sped the whole time. After about fifteen minutes, I finally pulled into the drive way. I quickly turned off my car and unbuckled but stayed seated until the rest of the vehicles showed up. Once Hisagi pulled in, we all started getting out. I didn't wait for the rest of them, Kon and I approached the door together. I could feel my anger rising with every step, ready to beat on that door again but about six feet away I felt two arms wrap around my waist, pulling me back. I looked up to see Ichigo.

"What the hell?"

"You need to calm down and stay with Michiru. You're way too pissed this early in the game and I can totally predict you doing something stupid." I tried to wiggle free but failed.

"Let me go, this was my idea and there's no way I'm just going to stand in the back quietly." Renji and Hisagi walked passed us, approaching the door. Renji started knocking loudly. I pulled away from Ichigo, finally freeing myself, and quickly advanced towards the door. Ichigo came after me but Mr. Otaka opened the door before he had the chance to say anything. Kisa's dad looked surprised to see so many kids on his doorstep and didn't have his usual strong alcohalic odor. I was almost positive he was sober.

"What the hell do you want?" He directed me while he spoke, probably because I'm the only one aside from Kon who he recognized.

"We want to see Kisa."

"No, get off my property." He tried to shut the door but both Renji and I held it open.

"Why hasn't she been to school? What's wrong with her?" I glared up at him as I spoke.

"That's none of your goddamn business, now leave!"

"No, let us see her! Let her come out here, we don't even have to go in your house." Mr. Otaka grabbed my wrist and pushed me a few steps away from the door.

"If you don't get off my property I'm going to call the police. I have no obligation to let you see Kisa so-" He was cut off by a loud crashing noise. He turned, staring intently at the stairs before turning back to us. "Leave, now." Renji pushed the door completely open and leaned his weight against the door frame.

"At least tell us why Kisa hasn't been to school or why you won't let her see anyone." Mr. Otaka sighed angrily and turned, grabbing the phone off it's craddle. He started dialing the police but stopped when Kisa screamed.

"Rukia!" Renji stood straighter and Mr. Otaka acted like he might go up the stairs. Without really thinking about it I dodged Renji and started running for the stair case. I only reached the second or third step when Kisa's father grabbed my arm, stopping me. He pulled me closer to him and the door before shoving me to the ground, causing me to hit my head on the bottom stair. Renji grabbed the man's collar and shoved him back against the open door.

"Keep your fucking hands off her." I stood and took my new found oppurtunity to continue up the stairs. I heard Ichigo yelling at me but ignored him. When I reached the second floor I called for Kisa. I started opening doors until I reached one that was locked.

"Kisa?" No sound came from the room but I heard someone running up the stairs. I continued twisting the knob and trying to shove it open, getting a little panicky as the footsteps grew closer. "Kisa!" When I glanced down the hall I saw Ichigo walking towards me, looking angry.

"Rukia, what the hell were you thinking?" I held a hand up and leaned closer to the door.

"Rukia?" I heard Kisa's soft voice on the other side of the door. It sounded like she was crying but I couldn't tell for sure.

"Ichigo, try-" He pushed me aside and started shoving at the door before I could even finish my sentence. The door wouldn't budge and Ichigo started getting frustrated. I could hear Renji and Mr. Otaka arguing downstairs, they were getting closer to the stairs. "Ichigo, hurry."

"Shut up, this isn't easy!" He sighed and let go of the handle. He nudged me, giving himself more room, and took a few steps back.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm going to try to kick this fucking thing down." Ichigo tried a few times but failed. After he kicked it again I heard something like metal clang against the floor. Ichigo and I looked down to see a key laying on the floor between our feet. He picked it up and quickly unlocked the beat up door. I quickly entered the room, finding Kisa laying on the ground. I didn't see any blood but I did see clumps of hair all over the room.

"Kisa?" I kneeled down next to her as she looked up at me. She had multiple bruises on her face and tears in her eyes. "Are you okay? Can you sit up?" She pushed herself off the floor, slowly sitting up. I noticed the large amount of bruises on her arms and neck. Ichigo kneeled down next to me, holding an arm out to Kisa.

"Come on, we're getting you out of here." She looked over at the door hesitantly and flinched when she heard Renji yelling at her dad. Without waiting for her approval, Ichigo carefully picked her up off the floor and stood. I grabbed him for balance and pulled myself off the ground. We took only two steps closer towards the exit when Mr. Otaka came stomping down the hallway.

"Get the fuck out of my house!" He froze in the doorway, glaring at us in rage. He took a few steps into the room, making me nervous.

"Stay away from us!" Ichigo yelled, grabbing my arm and pulling me back.

"Put her down and leave!"

"You're fucking crazy if you think we're leaving her with you!" I felt my anger growing as I screamed at Mr. Otaka.

"Rukia, shut up." I heard sirens approaching the house as someone walked up the stairs. Hisagi stood behind Kisa's father, looking in the room. He grabbed the man's shoulder and pulled him back a few steps, giving us a chance to leave. Ichigo tightened his grip on my arm and quickly pulled me out of the room, Kisa still in his arms. We hurried down the steps and walked out of the house, approaching the police officer. I could hear both Hisagi and Mr. Otaka following behind us. The officer looked at Kisa and Ichigo with concern, asking him what had happened. Before Ichigo could answer, Mr. Otaka came stomping out of the house yelling angrily.

"Put her down and leave!" His words were directed at Ichigo who took another step back. The officer stepped in between us, holding up his hands.

"Sir, calm down. Can someone please explain to me what's going on? Who called the police?" Mr. Otaka glared at the man before answering.

"I did. These kids just showed up in my yard, barged into my house and are trying to take my daughter." He kept his tone under control by speaking through his teeth. The policeman turned to Ichigo, a confused expression on his face.

"Is this true?"

"Yes."

"And why did you do this?" I glanced up at Kisa, letting Ichigo handle the officer. She had her arms wrapped around Ichigo's neck and burried her face in his shoulder. I noticed a blanket wrapped around her for the first time. Her feet were bare, one covered in bruises, and her hands were gripping Ichigo's tshirt.

"-So we decided to come check on her. When she screamed for Rukia, we went inside." I caught the end of Ichigo's explanation and looked up at the cop. He was looking at Kisa curiously and nodded.

"Before I take any action I'm going to call for an ambulance so she can be taken care of. I'm going to do a background check on Mr. Otaka also but for now, I need all of you to stay put. No one leaves." Ichigo nodded as the police officer walked back towards his car. We turned to Kisa's father who looked even more pissed. He clenched his fists and came charging towards Ichigo. I took a few steps back and Ichigo finally let go of my arm, trying to defend himself while protecting Kisa. Her father grabbed the collar of Ichigo's shirt and swung, hitting him in the face. Ichigo stumbled back, keeping his balance and brushing off the blow. I pushed my way between them but Mr. Otaka shoved me away. Hisagi came running towards us and grabbed both of Mr. Otaka's arms, pulling him back. I turned and grabbed Ichigo's wrist.

"Are you okay?" He nodded, rubbing the side of his face absently. I looked over at Kisa's father, a glare returning to my face. He returned the gesture.

"You stupid little bitch! If you minded your own fucking business this wouldn't have happened in the first place! You're lucky you have your friends here to protect you or I'd beat the living shit out of you."

"Like you did to Kisa?" He struggled in Hisagi's grip but didn't gain any freedom.

"Shut the fuck up!" I stepped closer to Ichigo regardless, still feeling nervous with his violent outbreaks.

"Rukia, shut up and stop talking to him." Ichigo sounded angry and when I glanced up at him he glared down at me. I nodded, and looked back at Mr. Otaka. Michiru stood a few steps behind Hisagi, looking scared. The policeman approached us quickly, eyeing Kisa's dad.

"Sir I checked your records. It seems you have multiple suspisions of violence and with that outbreak I just witnessed I'm going to have to arrest you." Kon and Renji headed closer to the rest of us as the police officer arrested Mr. Otaka. He struggled momentarily but was soon crammed in the back of the police car. A few minutes later an ambulance pulled into the yard and an EMT came rushing out. The man talked to the police officer for a minute before walking towards Ichigo.

"I'm guessing this is Kisa?" Ichigo nodded, still holding onto her securely. "Follow me and I'll check for any serious injuries. Is she bleeding at all?" Ichigo started following him back to the ambulance and I followed, a step behind.

"I don't think so, I didn't see any blood."

"That's good, any broken bones?"

"I don't know, she hasn't said anything since we found her." The paramedic nodded as we reached the ambulance. Both Ichigo and the EMT stepped into the back of the vehicle but I stayed put, watching from outside. When Ichigo pulled Kisa away, she tightened her grip, resisting the paramedic. She started crying and covered her face with her hands when Ichigo put her down. She nearly fell after being on her feet for only a few moments so Ichigo sat her on his leg carefully. I was going to stay and help if they needed me to but the police officer asked me for my side of the story, pulling me away from the ambulance. I told him the same thing Ichigo did, explaining our reasoning for coming over and barging in. I told the officer about how Kisa had been living with Byu and I and how her father had taken her a little over a week ago. After questioning me he went to ask Hisagi and Michiru the same questions.

Instead of going back to the ambulance I approached Renji. He was leaning back against the house, his arms folded. I stood next to him and leaned back as well. He glanced towards the ambulance before looking down at me.

"How's Kisa?" I shrugged.

"I don't know, I didn't see much. She was crying but I think it was mostly because she was so scared. She's not bleeding so I guess that's good." Renji shook his head.

"The son of bitch is lucky I didn't kick his ass. If I would've found her I probably would have." A glare returned to his face and he directed it to the police car. After a few moments of silence he looked back down at me. "Are you okay?"

"What? Yeah, I'm fine. Why do you ask?"

"You hit your head on the stairs didn't you?"

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He nodded and patted my shoulder.

"No problem." I smiled and jokingly patted his arm in return. He grinned down at me and lightly ruffled up my hair. "You find yourself in a lot trouble, don't you?" I laughed at his comment and shrugged again.

"I guess."

"Yeah, you do some dumb shit too."

"What are you talking about?" He pushed himself off the wall of the house and looked down at me.

"Are you kidding me? First you ran upstairs after being pushed around by Kisa's dad, then you put yourself between the guy and Ichigo when he's trying to attack Ichigo. I'd say that's pretty dumb."

"I'm not scared of the guy, I wasn't worried about me." I glanced towards the ambulance as Ichigo stepped out of the back. He headed towards the house, walking up to Renji and I.

"Is Kisa okay?" Ichigo nodded at Renji's question and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"For the most part, she doesn't have any serious injuries, just a lot of bruises. The paramedic said that because of that he's going to take her to my dad's clinic instead of the hospital."

"That's great. I guess we'll all be going over to your house once this is taken care of." Ichigo smiled and nodded. "The police officer said he was going to check out the house before leaving and would contact Kisa in a few days." Renji turned to me and continued. "Is she going to stay with you again?"

"I...yeah, as soon as she can. I guess I should call Byuakuya and let him know..." Ichigo looked down at me, as if he just remembered something.

"Kisa wanted to see you. Kon's already in there with her." I nodded and headed towards the ambulance without another thought. Once I reached the open vehicle I looked up at Kon for help. He held out his hand and hoisted me up. Kisa was sitting up and talking quietly with the paramedic. The blanket was wrapped around again and she was no longer crying. Due to the lack of space and low ceiling I sat on Kon's knee, facing her.

"Hey Kisa, how're you feeling?" She turned to me and shrugged. Her face was covered in dark purple splotches and her hair looked tangled and disheveled. I was reminded of her room and how there were clumps of hair all over the floor. I laid my hand on her shoulder as a frown found it's way to my face. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I should've known, I should've told that police officer about your-" She shook her head cutting me off.

"It's not your fault." Her voice was low and raspy. I nodded and stood.

"We're all going to meet you at Ichigo's house, okay? After Isshin takes care of you and he says you can leave, I'll take you home."

"Okay." Kon grabbed her hand carefully and I walked around him towards the door. I hopped out of the tall vehicle and glanced towards the house. Hisagi and Michiru were already gone and Renji was pulling out of the drive way. Ichigo stood talking with the police officer as I approached him. The officer glanced at the house before dismissing himself. He headed towards his car and left, the ambulance pulling out right after him. I looked up at Ichigo once they were gone.

"Are you ready to go?" His gaze was still on the road as he nodded.

"Yeah."

"You okay?" He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, are you?" I nodded in response, taking a step back.

"Yup." He stood in place, making no move towards his truck like I expected him to. "Well I'm gonna go, you probably should too." I didn't know how to make it anymore obvious that it was time to leave so I turned towards my car and started that way. Ichigo grabbed my arm, stopping me. I looked up at him. "What?"

"Look, I'm sorry for being such a jerk in there." My eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"Don't worry about it." He nodded and let me go. "Are you sure you're okay? You're acting a little weird."

"Yeah, I just...I dunno. Seeing Kisa like that made me...nervous." A frown reappeared on my face and I grabbed his hand.

"What do you mean?"

"I guess it made me think of my mom." My mind went to Masaki and my reoccuring nightmares involving her. Then I pictured her on the ground in front of car covered in blood and bruises. I couldn't imagine the kind of psychological damage that must have done to Ichigo as a child.

"Do you want to talk about it?" He shook his head without hesitating, still staring off towards the street. "Do you want me to leave?" He finally looked down at me, smiling.

"No, why would you ask that?" I shrugged.

"You act like you want to be alone, I just figured I'd ask."

"Well I don't." He grabbed my hand and headed towards our vehicles. Once we reached the driver side of my car he let go of my hand and leaned over to hug me. "Are you sure you're okay? Renji said you hit your head." I nodded, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"Yeah, I don't really remember hitting the stairs and it doesn't hurt at all." He nodded and let go, standing straighter.

"Okay, well I'll see you at the house."

"'Kay, bye." I pulled open the door and slid in before starting the car. I backed out of the drive way and headed towards Ichigo's house, watching in my rearview mirror to make sure he was following.

-:-

It turned out that Kisa really didn't have any serious injuries. The paramedic was concerned about possible internal bleeding but Isshin said that none of her bruises were that serious. The reason Kisa was so weak was because she hadn't eaten once. Her father didn't let her out of that room the entire week and a half she was there. While at Ichigo's I asked her about the hair all over the floor and she told me that her father had ripped some of it out. She couldn't stand how uneven it felt and ended up cutting over half of her remainding hair off. At that point her hair was about two inches below her shoulders.

That afternoon I called Byuakuya and told him about Kisa's current situation and got lectured. He didn't yell but I could tell he was angry. I asked if Kisa could come home with me and he said yes. She went home with me that night, still a little weak and sore. She didn't go to school for the rest of the week and spent most of her time in bed. The only time that week she left the house was to get her hair cut. Byu took her while I was in school and when I got home I was shocked. The ends barely brushed the tops of her shoulders. She had short layers but her bangs remained the same, making her hair look super healthy. Byaukuya said she cried while the man was cutting it.

By the next week she was feeling a lot better even though her bruises were still dark and visible. She went to school and ignored everyone who asked her questions about what happened. Kisa came home from her first day back with tons of missed work but managed to get caught up within two or three days. Ichigo and Kon started coming over after school almost everyday because Kisa was too tired at the end of each day to go anywhere else.

On Wednesday, Kisa's third day back, Michiru and Mina invited everyone over to my house for dinner to celebrate. Kisa really didn't want to, I could tell by the look on her face but she didn't say anything at the mention of it. Michiru and I double checked with Byu to make sure he was okay with it and set a time. Ichigo and Kon came over right after school but the others went home to change and get ready. When we got home we all sat at the table with Byuakuya, talking with him about our plans for the night. Kisa sat silently next to Byu, staring off. I smiled at her before speaking directly to her.

"You must be so pumped for your celebration tonight." She turned her stare on me, looking at me like I was an idiot.

"Not really." I laughed.

"I know you're not."

"You could've stopped this if you tried." Byu smiled down at Kisa as she spoke.

"I know but I wanted to do it, it's going to be fun." She shook her head and stared off again. Byu started asking her how she was feeling but I didn't hear her response, I was distracted by the sound of my phone going off in my pocket. I pulled it out and saw Tatsuki's name pop up on the screen. I opened the message from her and leaned back in my chair.

**Hey Rukia, Kiba and I are on our way. We'll be there in a few.**

I noticed Ichigo glancing over at me in my peripheral vision but ignored him and started typing out my response. I looked up at Kisa momentarily, something I had gotten in the habit of doing ever since she had come back home, before turning back to my phone.

**Okay, I'll see you then. Oh by the way, have you told Kiba yet?**

I sat the phone on the table and looked back up, jumping back into the conversation. Kon was joking with Kisa about her negative attitude and tugging at her hair. She pushed his hand away and leaned back in her chair, earning a laugh from both Ichigo and Kon. I looked down at my vibrating cell phone and picked it up, opening the new message.

**...No. He thinks I'm sick though, he caught me throwing up the other day. I still haven't told anyone but you.**

I sighed and typed out my reply, surprised that she was waiting this long. It had already been over two weeks since she told me about it in the coffee shop.

**Have you been having a lot of morning sickness? **

I heard a car pull into the drive way as I sat my phone down again. I stood and told everyone that it was probably Kiba and Tatsuki. I headed toward the door and pulled it open just as they started knocking. Kiba smiled down at me, ruffling up my hair as he greeted everyone. I pushed his hand away and let them in. As I turned towards the kitchen Ichigo spoke up angrily.

"What the hell is this about, Tatsuki?" He was glaring up at her with my phone in his hand. At first I wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"What's wrong Ichigo?" I walked over towards him and tried to grab my phone but he pulled it away. "What the hell? What are you doing?" His expression changed slightly, still looking at Tatsuki. He looked surprised and even angrier.

"Are you pregnant?" Tatsuki's eyes widened and I realized that he must've read our texts. I grabbed his arm and pried my phone away from him.

"What are you doing going through my phone, Ichigo?" He stood and pushed me aside, obviously not falling for my attempt of a distraction. Ichigo advanced towards the two standing by the door and grabbed on to the collar of Kiba's shirt. Without another word or warning he swung at him violently. "Ichigo!"

"You son of bitch!" I grabbed at Ichigo, trying to pull him away but failing. Byu stood from the table but didn't reach him in time. Ichigo shoved Kiba back against the door and swung again, hitting him in the face.

"What the hell?" Kiba held his hands up defensively, unprepared and confused.

"Ichigo stop!" I pushed my way between them as Byuakuya grabbed Ichigo by the arm, pulling him away from Kiba and Tatsuki. Tatsuki turned to Kiba and asked if he were okay. Before anyone could say anything else there was another knock on the door and Michiru let herself in.

"Hi everyone!" She froze midstep when Kiba slid back against the wall, landing on the floor with his face in his hands. "Oh my, what happened?" Hisagi stepped in behind her, looking around confused.

"Holy shit, what happened to Kiba?" I sighed and explained breifly, knowing that Tatsuki was probably already embarrassed. I glared up at Ichigo.

"What is your problem?" He glared back, pulling his arm away from Byu. He was still super pissed.

"I'm not the one with the problem." He turned to Kiba angrily. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You two haven't been dating for three months and she's already pregnant, you stupid irresponsible son of bitch." Kiba's eyes widened and he turned to Tatsuki.

"...You're pregnant?" Tatsuki glared at Ichigo before turning to Kiba and nodded. Everyone in the room was silent as Kiba stared off, looking dazed. Byuakuya told everyone to go to the kitchen, his tone not giving us an option. Kiba and Tatsuki stayed in the living room, talking about their sitution. Within a few minutes Kiba was stomping out of the house, followed by Tatsuki, leaving just as quickly as they got there. I sighed and sat at the table, resting my head in my hands. I felt so guilty for what happened with Kiba. A few minutes later Renji and Mina showed up. They walked into the kitchen smiling and greeting everyone.

"Hey guys. Hey Kisa, you ready to celebrate?" He smiled down at her as she shook her head. He looked around the table, noticing the tense atmosphere. "What's wrong? Did something happen?" No one said anything, leaving the room silent. "Well?" Hisagi sighed and spoke up, obviously not wanting to bring up the touchy subject.

"Ichigo attacked Kiba and they left. Everyone's pretty pissed at Ichigo." Ichigo glared up at him, his arms folded.

"Shut the fuck up, Hisagi. I had every right to-"

"No you didn't!" I cut him off, finally unloading my own anger. "That's their business, Ichigo."

"She's my best friend! That asshole is screwing up her life." Hisagi sighed, getting Ichigo's attention.

"Ichigo, we're all close friends but we don't interfere in other people's business like that."

"Yeah right, if you knocked up Michiru I **know** Renji would kick your ass."

"Whoa, Tatsuki's pregnant?" I sighed, leaning back in my chair.

"Yes." Ichigo turned in his seat to look up at Renji.

"Wouldn't you beat the shit out of him if he did that to Michiru?" Renji glanced at Hisagi and Michiru thoughtfully before answering.

"Honestly, yeah probably but that doesn't make it right."

"Oh my god, you have to be fucking kidding me." Ichigo stood, pulling his keys out of his pocket. "I'm getting out of here." Byuakuya stood also, a concerned expression on his face.

"Ichigo, please calm down. No one can changed what just happened so I think we all need to just push it aside and let _them_ handle this situation." Ichigo shook his head and took a step closer to the door.

"Thanks but I'm leaving." He left, slamming the door on his way out. Byu sighed and sat back down. Renji glanced out the window as he shoved his hands in his pockets. Michiru stepped closer to the table and patted both Kisa and Byuakuya's shoulders.

"Let's not let him ruin our evening. We should be grateful to have Kisa safetly back into our lives." Kisa sighed and rested her chin in her hand. Everyone smiled down at her and the mood softened a little. Everyone gathered around the table to talk a little bit before we ordered dinner.

I texted Tatsuki an apology but didn't expect a quick response. I also sent Ichigo a message, telling him that I was sorry for jumping down his throat but also saying that he shouldn't have acted on anger like he did. He responded a few minutes later telling me that he didn't feel like talking. After that attempt I put my phone away and pushed him out of my mind, aggrivated with his attitude. I didn't want to let him ruin my night. My attention went back to Kisa and our celebratory dinner.

-:-

At around nine-thirty everyone started getting ready to leave. It was a school night and Kisa was getting a little tired. Byuakuya and I had just finished clearing the table so he said his goodbyes and headed upstairs, probably to his office. The rest of us headed towards the living room as we said our own goodbyes. Everyone hugged Kisa before leaving and thanked us for having them over. They started filtering out the door and eventually it was just Kon, Kisa, and I. I figured they wanted a minute to themselves so I told Kon I would grab my keys from upstairs before taking him home. When I reached the second floor I reminded Byu that I was giving him a ride and grabbed my keys off my dresser. I also grabbed both Ichigo and Kon's school bags from my bedroom floor before heading back downstairs. When I reentered the living room I saw Kon kiss the top of Kisa's head before pulling away and smiling up at me. I told Kisa goodnight and hugged her before Kon and I headed out the door. We were silent until we pulled out of the drive way.

"So have you talked to your parents at all since you moved in with the Kurosaki's?" Kon nodded, leaning back in his seat.

"Yeah, I call my mom every once in a while but I've only seen her in person like twice. I think my dad's still in jail. My mom doesn't have the money to bail him out." My eyebrows rose in surprise. I thought he'd find a way out by now.

"Really? Wow, that's great." Kon laughed and shrugged.

"I guess, Kisa thinks so but I feel bad for him. He hate's being cooped up like that, he must be going crazy." I glanced over at him, smiling softly.

"You're too nice Kon, that bastard beat you and you're still concerned about him?"

"There are a lot worse people out there than my dad, besides I can't stay mad at him forever."

"Yes you can, well at least until he apologizes." Kon shook his head but didn't say anything else. "Kon, how long have they been abusing you or neglecting you? I'm sure your dad had this coming." Kon was silent, staring out the window. I was nervous that I had pushed my opinions too hard. Before I could apologize he spoke up, changing the subject.

"What were your parents like?" I blinked, surprised by the question. I never really liked to talk about my parents and tried to avoid the subject as much as possible.

"Uh..." I glanced in my rearview mirror before finishing. "They were both alcoholics. Um...neither could hold down a job so we were pretty bad off."

"How did they die?"

"A car accident, it happened when I was seven so I wasn't really affected by it." Kon nodded, glancing out of the windshield.

"Did they abuse you like Kisa's dad did?" I shook my head.

"No, they got angry and hit me once in a while but they weren't abusive."

"I'm glad you got away from them at such a young age, not that I'm happy their dead or anything." I smiled over at him as we pulled into their neighborhood.

"I understand. I think it was a good thing too, especially for Hisana."

"Were they worse with Sana?" I shrugged, pulling in the drive way and parking behind Ichigo's truck.

"They weren't really physical with her but they put all the responsibilities on her. She took care of me, she had to pick up the house and cook and do well in school. I mean, she always managed but it wasn't an idea life for a teenager." Kon frowned slightly.

"Poor Sana. I wish I could've met her." My smile widened and I turned towards him.

"Believe me, she would've loved you."

"If she's anything like you, I would've probably loved her too." I shrugged.

"Do you think Isshin would mind if I pop in for a second?"

"Of course not. You want to talk to Ichigo?" I nodded and pushed open the door. We got out and headed towards the door together. Kon walked in, holding open the door for me before pushing it shut. I glanced towards the kitchen to see Isshin sitting at the table with a cup of tea sitting next to a stack of papers. His white doctor's coat was still on, which meant he was still working. He reminded me of Byuakuya, always working. Isshin smiled at me happily.

"Hi Rukia. Haven't seen you in a while." I smiled back, taking a few more steps in. I glanced around the corner, looking in the living room for Ichigo. I turned back to Isshin when I realized the room was empty.

"Hello, are you working this late?" He nodded and took a sip of his tea.

"Yup. I found that if I work this late one night, the next few nights I can quit early." His smile widened and he offered me something to drink.

"No thanks, I just wanted to talk to Ichigo for a minute before I headed home." He nodded again and pushed his papers away.

"He's upstairs. Why'd he come home so early? He seemed really upset." I glanced at the stair case before turning back and answering him.

"He's mad at Kiba and sort of got into a fight with him-" Kon walked into the kitchen and held up his hands.

"He attacked Kiba." I nodded and continued.

"We all kind of got on his case so he got frustrated and left." Isshin's eyebrows furrowed but he simply nodded.

"Well he's had plenty of time to cool down, I think it's safe to go talk to him." I nodded, still smiling and left for Ichigo's room. When I reached his door he it was closed so I knocked on it lightly.

"What?" He yelled at the door, sounding pretty neutral. I grabbed the handle and cracked it open, sticking my head in.

"Hey." He was laying on his bed, reading when he glanced up at me. His expression didn't give away any emotion so I didn't really know what to expect. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah." His voice was dull but I pushed the thought away and stepped in, closing the door behind me. I walked over to his bed and sat down.

"Are you okay?" Ichigo closed his book, sat it on his desk and sat up.

"Not really." I sighed quietly and leaned back on my hands.

"Ichigo, I'm sorry for getting on your case, I know everyone was sort of ganging up on you but you were overreacting."

"I know I overreacted that's not what I'm upset about." I looked up at him and cocked an eyebrow.

"It's not? Then what's wrong?"

"Why didn't you tell me? That's what she wanted to talk to you about a few weeks ago isn't it? You should've told me a long time ago."

"Ichigo, she didn't want me to tell you. I had to respect her privacy, don't you think?" He shook his head and folded his arms.

"She's in serious trouble, Rukia. She's going to do something stupid, Tatsuki's never been good with stress."

"I talked to her, you think I'd let her leave with some dumb idea in her head? Look, I did what she asked and if you're going to be mad at me for respecting her decision to keep it a secret then I guess you can just be mad at me." I stood, annoyed with his attitude. He sighed and stood also.

"I don't want to be mad at you Rukia."

"Then don't." He didn't say anything but his expression said it all. He was clearly still upset about it. I rolled my eyes, getting worked up. "Whatever Ichigo, I'm leaving." I turned towards the door but Ichigo grabbed my arm, stopping me. He sighed before speaking.

"I'm sorry, okay? I know you were just doing what Tatsuki wanted you to and I shouldn't be mad. I'm sorry." I didn't say anything at first, only sighing in response. I nodded, knowing that he still was upset about it but glad he apologized. He let go of my arm and hugged onto my waist, picking me up off the ground. I smiled slightly and hugged onto his neck, feeling tired. I rested my head on his shoulder, feeling more comfortable than I had when I first entered the room. "I really am sorry, Rukia."

"I know, I forgive you. I'm sorry too." He nodded, putting me down. I let go of him and took a step back. "I gotta go, I'm exhausted."

"Be careful." I smiled and nodded.

"Will do, I'll see you tomorrow." I hugged onto his waist quickly but when I went to pull away he held his grip. Ichigo leaned down and pressed his lips to mine. I kissed him back quickly before pulling away, smiling at him. "Smooth." He smiled and shrugged.

"I try." I laughed and pulled his arms away from my waist. "Bye, Rukia." I stepped back and waved in response before turning and leaving. I knew Ichigo was still angry that I didn't tell him about Tatsuki even though he apologized but he was trying his best to put it aside. I was surprised by the intensity of our "first fight" but also pleased with the outcome. I said goodbye to both Kon and Isshin before heading out the door and making my way home.

-:-

**AH! Finally I've finished! I'm sorry for taking forever to update but school is keeping me busy :( I hope you enjoyed despite the wait! Please review! ;D**


	14. Chapter 14

**I'm back! I'll try to update chapter 14 a lot faster than the last chapter but I can't make any promises. I most likely won't get this done until next weekend but I wanted to get a good headstart while I still had some free time! Thank you all who reviewed, I appreciate the feedback and I'm glad you're all so excited about the story. Anyway, enjoy chapter 14! Please R&R! :)**

-:-

The next two weeks went by without any problems. We heard from the police that Kisa's father was going to be tried against for child abuse and neglect. Byuakuya talked to the officer about getting legal custody of Kisa and the man sent him papers to fill out, saying that he'd be a great candidate. Kisa's bruises finally started going away and she was feeling much better.

Finals came around quickly, meaning that the school year was ending soon. Michiru planned big study groups the week of finals and we spent most of our time at her place. She also planned a day of celebration and invited everyone over to her place for the first night of summer. I think we were all ecstatic for the end of the school year and ready for our last summer vacation as high school students, excluding Kisa.

As the last bell of the school year rung, dismissing us from our last finals, some kids in the back of the class started clapping and cheering. I smiled as I put my belongs away and cleared out my desk. Everyone acted like they were in such a rush and over half the class cleared out within minutes. I stood and glanced over at Kon who was talking with Kiba and Tatsuki. Hisagi and Renji were waiting for the rest of us in the door way, their girlfriends at their sides. Ichigo and I hurried towards the exit, realizing they were ready to go. We walked out towards the school's parking lot in a large group. Kisa met up with us near the exit and started talking to Kon, asking him about his finals. Everyone split up and headed towards their vehicles. Ichigo and Kon stuck around, standing by my car while talking with Kisa. I leaned back against the driver's door and waited patiently. After a few minutes Ichigo said something about leaving, digging in his pocket for his keys.

"Here Kon, you drive the tuck. I'm gonna ride with Rukia." Kon nodded and Kisa followed him towards Ichigo's truck. I smiled at Ichigo before sliding in the car, ready to leave. Ichigo got in the passenger's seat and buckled up as I started the car.

"Any reason why you wanted to ride with me?" He laughed as I pulled out of the parking space and shifted into drive, making my way out of the school parking lot.

"Because I can, is it such a bad thing?" I shrugged, glancing in my rearview mirror before sliding into the turning lane.

"I guess not, I guess I'll put with you although I was looking forward to some time alone before being stuck with you all night."

"Ha ha, you're such a bad girlfriend." I let out a quiet laugh, focusing on the road. "Actually I wanted to talk to you about something." I glanced over at him, unsure and a little concerned with his tone.

"What's up?" Ichigo stared out the window for a few moments, staying silent and making me a little nervous. Ever since our fight over Tatsuki, he'd changed a little. He got over being mad, I could tell by the way he acted around me but once in a while he would get distant with me.

"My dad and sisters are going to visit my aunt for a week and my dad doesn't want us home alone. He told me to find somewhere to stay, do you think Byuakuya would be okay with us staying at your place?" I blinked, surprised and not sure what to say.

"Uh...I don't know about that." He didn't say anything so I felt the need to continue. "I can ask but...would your dad be okay with it?"

"Yeah, I mean he'd probably have to warm up to the idea. Honestly, you're the only person who has room for us except Michiru and her mom would never let us stay."

"Oh...if Byu knew that then I'm sure he'd consider it. I'll ask, when are they going?"

"They leave in like a week and a half."

"Why aren't you going?" I turned into Michiru's large neighborhood and slowed down to the new speed limit.

"I don't really like my aunt and she would probably complain if we brought Kon with us. I wouldn't want to leave him by himself so I decided not to go." I nodded, driving through the Ogawa gates.

"Okay, well we'll have to talk to Byu about it."

"Okay, thanks." I smiled as I parked and killed the engine.

"No problem." Kon and Kisa pulled in next to us before I could lock my car and it looked like everyone else was already there. The four of us headed to the door together and Ichigo opened the door, letting himself in. I followed behind him, bag in hand. Mei Mei welcomed us before leading us to the occupied sitting room. She quickly dismissed herself, leaving us standing in the entryway. Michiru smiled up at us and gestured for us to sit down.

"Do you guys wanna go swimming? The weather's perfect and the pool was just cleaned."

"Hell yes!" Renji sat up and pushed himself from his seat on the ground. "Don't even bother sitting down, everyone go change. We're swimming now." Michiru smiled and rolled her eyes.

"I was asking everyone but you, I know you love to swim." Renji ignored her and pulled Mina off the floor.

"Go Mina, take them with you." Mina laughed and headed towards the stairs, pulling Michiru with her. I glanced at Tatsuki and she sighed, getting up despite her lack of excitement. She followed Kisa and I up the stairs. When we all reached Michiru's room she apologized for Renji's demanding attitude.

"We don't have to swim if you guys don't want to." Mina shrugged at her words, already digging in her closet for bathing suits.

"It sounds good to me, I haven't been swimming in forever." Michiru turned to the rest of us.

"Are you guys okay with swimming?" I nodded and Kisa shrugged. Tatsuki was the only one to voice a solid opinion.

"You guys can go ahead, I don't want to."

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Michiru smiled at her and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Okay but if you feel left out you let me know and I'll get Renji to throw you in the pool." Tatsuki smiled and let out a laugh.

"I don't think so, I'd have to kill Renji."

"Don't worry, we'd never let him hurt you." Michiru sat on the bed next to Tatsuki, smiling happily. Mina approached us with her hands full of bathing suits. We all grabbed at random and sorted them out before seperating into different rooms. Tatsuki didn't take a swim suit but did grab shorts and a tank top for greater comfort. Once we were all done changing we headed back downstairs. From the sliding glass door leading to the patio we could see the guys, most already in the pool. I laughed, watching Renji and Hisagi throw Kon into the water.

"Wow, they didn't waste any time." We grabbed towels before heading outside. It was fairly warm out, the sun was shining high in the sky. The weather really was perfect for swimming and I realized that I was way more excited than I thought I would be. Kisa didn't seem very thrilled though she seemed more comfortable than I expected. We were the first ones to approach the guys but she stopped to sit on the ledge of the shallow end, sticking her feet in the water. I stopped and looked down at her. "Really? You're not getting in?" She looked up me and shrugged. Renji walked up next to me and shook his head.

"Nope, that's not an option. You better get in the pool before I make you." Kisa looked up at him, shading her eyes with her hand.

"Touch me and I'll fuck you up." I laughed and elbowed Renji in the side.

"Leave her alone, she doesn't have to swim if she doesn't want to." He sighed and turned to me.

"Fine I'll just toss you in." I stepped away and held up my hands.

"You don't have to force me, I'll get in on my own." I glanced towards the deck and saw the rest of the girls approaching. Tatsuki sat next to Kisa and started up a conversation. Mina and Michiru walked up behind Renji. He looked down at them suspiciously.

"What?" Mina smiled up at him.

"Aren't you going to get in?" He returned the gesture.

"After you, ladies first." They shook there heads and shoved him, pushing him into the water quickly. When he resurfaced his hair was plastered to his face and he glared at the two girls. "You bitches are so dead." I laughed and continued towards the deep end, staying out of his way. Hisagi looked up at me from the pool. He was leaning back against the ledge, looking pretty relaxed.

"Damn, I forgot how good you look in a two piece Rukia." He smiled jokingly, nudging a near-by Ichigo. I flipped him the bird before jumping into the pool, pencil diving to the bottom. I slowly floated to the top and pushed my hair out of my face. The water was warm, but still felt refreshing. I leaned back against the opposite edge at Hisagi and kicked my feet. I glanced down at the other end of the pool and saw Kon talking with Kisa, his head resting against her leg. He was probably trying to convince her to get in. Ichigo and Hisagi laughed when Kisa glared down at Kon.

"Leave me alone!" Kon didn't seem too bothered by her reaction. He pulled himself out of the water and stood next to her on the ledge. He kneeled down next to her and acted like he was going to pick her up. She shoved him away, yelling at him to stop. Kon laughed but persisted, picking her up bridal style and making his way towards the deep end. "Kon, put me down!" Kon tightened his grip on her and jumped into the water. Kisa looked so pissed when they resurfaced but Kon continued to grin, obviously having fun. Everyone was quiet and waited for her reaction. "You bastard." She wiped some water out of her eyes and pushed her hair away from her face. Kon smiled at her, his arms still wrapped around her waist. Her hands were resting on his shoulders as she glared him down, trying to keep a smile off her face. Ichigo and Hisagi started splashing huge amounts of water at the two treading in the middle of the pull. Renji quickly joined in, directing the water at Kisa.

We stayed out in the water for at least an hour and a half. Ichigo and I got out first, my hands were feeling wrinkled and the sun toasted towels felt so good. We sat together in the grass, watching Renji brutally attack Mina and Michiru. They eventually got sick of it and got out, keeping their distance from the pool. Everyone else slowly got out within the next fifteen minutes. Once everyone was ready to go inside, Kisa and I followed Michiru back up the stairs so we could change out of our wet bathing suits. We all changed into sweats, even though it was only going on six o'clock. The house was air conditioned and I was freezing after being in the water. When we reached the bottom of the stairs Renji was waiting for us, telling us that it was time for dinner.

The rest of the night we all relaxed, we watched a few movies and before heading off to bed we sat around and just talked. Renji asked Tatsuki and Kiba about the baby and how their first appointment went. They weren't very eager to talk about it but they filled everyone in. Hisagi made a point of asking Ichigo and I how our relationship was going. Michiru and Mina joined in, asking us a ton of questions but soon moved onto Kon and Kisa. After our group chat we split up and went to our designated guest rooms.

The next day Kisa and I left early. I needed to talk to Byuakuya about Ichigo and Kon staying at the house and I didn't want to leave him home alone all day. We were pulling out of the Ogawa entryway at around ten-thirty and made it home in less than twenty minutes. On the way home I told Kisa about the conversation I had with Ichigo the day before. She seemed to think that Byu would say no, no matter the reasoning. We both approached him, though I figured she wouldn't say anything. I sat him down at the table and he gave me a funny look.

"What is this about?" I smiled and glanced at Kisa.

"I just wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" I turned my atention back to my brother and leaned back in my chair.

"So I was talking to Ichigo yesterday and he wanted me to ask you for a favor." He nodded, gesturing for me to continue. "He said that his dad and sisters are going to visit his aunt for a week and he decided to stay home with Kon. Isshin told Ichigo that he didn't want them home alone for a whole week and told him that they need to find somewhere to stay so-"

"No, Rukia." I smiled, not surprised by his response.

"Will you let me finish?" 

"No, you're boyfriends are not living with us for a week." He glanced at Kisa who laughed at his words.

"Ichigo said that we're the only ones who have enough room for them, he doesn't know who else to ask." Byuakuya shook his head.

"I'm sure they can stay with one of your other friends." My smile widened and I shrugged.

"Okay, I guess I'll let him know." I pulled out my phone and dialed Ichigo's number, smiling at my brother. Byu looked super aggrivated. After a few rings Ichigo picked up.

"Hey Rukia."

"Hi, so I talked to my brother and he said no." Ichigo sighed quietly on the other line.

"Okay, I guess I should've expected that."

"Yeah you probably should have-" Byu held his hand out to me. I furrowed my brow. "What?"

"Give me the phone."

"...Ichigo, I think Byuakuya wants to talk to you."

"He's there?" Without answering I gave him my cell phone and glanced at Kisa.

"Ichigo?" Byu looked over at Kisa and I and pointed towards the exit. "You two can leave." Kisa smiled at me and stood from the table. I got up and we headed towards the living room. We sat on the couch and waited.

"I wonder what that's about." Kisa's tone was sarcastic as she glanced towards the kitchen.

"Poor 'Yuakuya is too nice, he's probably setting ground rules and welcoming them to our family." Kisa laughed and pulled her legs onto the couch.

"I dunno if I really want them over for a whole week." I nodded.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. You learn a lot about people when you live with them. It's going to be weird." She nodded in agreement. "Do you get easily annoyed with Kon?" She shrugged, causing me to laugh.

"When he's purposely trying to get on my nerves, yeah I do but other than that not really."

Kisa and I sat in the living room talking for at least forty minutes before Byu called us back into the kitchen. He held my phone out to me, it was still glowing when I held it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Ruk? I just got lectured big time." I smiled down at my brother and hugged him quickly. He gave me a funny look when I pulled away.

"What was that for?"

"You're so funny, Byu. I love you." He smiled and shook his head.

"You'll never take me seriously will you?" I shook my head and turned towards the stairs. I headed up to my room and asked Ichigo what my brother said to him.

"He just...started listing off rules. Then after a long list of do's and don'ts he said that I was responsible for telling Kon the house rules. Then we just sort of talked about when my dad would be leaving and how long. He asked why I didn't want to go. It was weird."

"That's hilarious, Byu just doesn't know how to put his foot down." Ichigo laughed before assuring me that he put his foot down with Ichigo.

"He made his rules very clear, believe me I won't be breaking any."

"At least someone takes him seriously." I sat on my bed and laid down, staring at the ceiling. "Are you still at Michiru's?"

"No, we went home a few minutes after you two left."

"Ah."

"So, are you ready to spend a whole week with me?" I laughed, closing my eyes.

"I think question is are you ready to spend a whole week with _me_?"

"Of course I am, I'm kind of excited." I heard Byuakuya laugh loudly and smiled at the sound.

"Well, maybe we should give each other some space until then. That way we don't get sick of each other just in time for your week long stay." Ichigo chuckled on the other end.

"Yeah, that makes sense, though I sense you're the one who's going to be getting sick of me."

"I dunno, I might. I've never spent that much time with you before."

"I understand but I'm going to be positive about it, unlike you." My smile widened and I turned on my side, facing the open door.

"Maybe I will like having you here for a week, I hate to admit this but I sort of miss you already."

"I know what you mean, I miss you too." He sounded so sincere, causing me to chuckle.

"Listen to us, we're such saps."

"Eh, more like suckers for love." He laughed on the other line but I was distracted as Kisa approached my doorway. I turned to her and smiled.

"What's up?"

"Come downstairs and help me braid Byu's hair." Ichigo chuckled under his breath, he must've heard her. I sat up and nodded.

"Okay, I'll be there in a minute." She smiled and headed back down the stairs.

"I really thought she'd be set back after what her father did but she's so...outspoken. I love it."

"I know, I swear I'm never letting anyone take her away from us again. I don't care who comes to the door asking for her, she's not leaving." I kicked off my shoes as I spoke and stretched my legs.

"Believe me, I know you wouldn't." There was a short silence and I heard some papers rustling. "I guess I'll let you go. I know you have higher priorities than me." I grinned and nodded absently.

"That's right, family first. Go spend time with yours, you hardly associate with them."

"Not true, Kon and I were planning on helping Dad out in the clinic today." He sighed quietly, sounding tired.

"What's wrong? Didn't you get enough sleep last night?"

"Hm? Yeah, I was just thinking."

"Thinking and sighing?" He laughed as I stood from my bed.

"I was just thinking that you and Kisa should come over for dinner tonight." I laughed, shaking my head in response.

"I don't think so, but thanks for the offer. Didn't we already discuss this? We need to give each other some space, we'll have plenty of time together when you're staying here."

"But what if something happens before then?" I rolled my eyes at his weak question.

"Like what, the zombie apocalypse?"

"Exactly."

"If I get attacked by a zombie, I promise you'll be my first victim." He sighed again, in defeat.

"Yeah, I better be." I laughed again, leaning back against the door frame.

"Bye, Ichigo."

"Bye, see ya tonight."

"No-" He hung up, cutting me off. I shut my phone and tossed it on the bed, rolling my eyes as I headed downstairs. When I reached the kitchen I found Kisa standing behind Byu with half his hair already pulled into a tightly wound French braid. "Wow, I don't think you need any help." She nodded.

"It was easier than I thought it would be. His hair is more cooperative than mine ever was." I smiled and walked over to my brother, standing in front of him. He had an eye closed and flinched as she tugged more of his hair. I leaned against the table and watched her hands work with his long dark locks.

"You're acting like such a princess, Byuakuya."

"Shut up, this kills. She's braiding yours next." I laughed and nodded.

"Fine, I think I can handle it." I patted his arm to let him know that I was only teasing. He nudged me with his foot and smiled at me. Kisa starting asking him about his new case at work when the doorbell rang. I pushed myself off the table and left to answer it. When I pulled open the door Michiru and Renji stood on the porch. Michiru smiled happily and asked for permission to come in. I stepped aside and they followed me to the kitchen. "Kisa, your boyfriend's here." She turned, smiling, expecting Kon. Her face fell as soon as she saw Renji, a glare taking over her expression.

"Pfft." She turned back to Byu, recieving a laugh from Renji.

"That hurts Kisa." Byuakuya looked up at me as Renji spoke, confused.

"Who is it?" I smiled as Michiru ran her hand over Byu's braided hair.

"It's Renji and Michiru."

"You don't like Renji?" Byuakuya's question was directed at Kisa who just shrugged.

"Don't let her fool you, she loves me. She's just shy." Renji tugged on the ends of her hair lightly, smiling happily. Kisa smacked his hand away and continued braiding. Within a few seconds she was finishing, tying the end off with a hair tie. Michiru continued to admire her work.

"That is so pretty, Kisa. I wish my hair would grow out." Kisa smiled and absently ran a hand through her hair.

"Believe me, so do I." Michiru returned the gesture and continued messing with my brothers mane.

"Ugh, I'm so jealous Mr. Kuchiki. Ever think of donating to Locks of Michiru?" Byu laughed and shook his head, turning towards our guests.

"Sorry but I don't think so."

"Uh, you're all the same, so selfish with your God-given gift." She smiled and patted Byu's shoulder. "No, I understand. If I had long hair there's no way I'd be giving it away, well...maybe to Locks of Love but not to me." Renji laughed and rolled his eyes.

"You get your hair cut all the time, it's your own fault." She shook her head, brushing away the topic. Michiru nudged Renji with her elbow.

"Let her braid yours." Renji nodded and smiled down at Kisa.

"Sure, work your magic Shorty." He sat down in another chair and pulled out his ponytail. Kisa silently went to work, pulling the roots of his hair and divided them into thirds. Michiru turned to me, her expression shifting slightly.

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something. Do you think we could go into the living room?" I nodded, unsure but not willing to show it.

"Sure, actually let's go to my room." She smiled and nodded, stepping away from the table. I led her upstairs, leaving Renji with Kisa and my brother. When we reached my room I shut the door behind us and we sat on my bed. I looked at her and spoke before she could. "Please don't tell me you're pregnant." She laughed and shook her head.

"Of course not, impossible." I smiled and nodded.

"Good." Her smile faded slightly as she stared out my window.

"I just wanted to ask you if you've talked to Hisagi lately."

"...I talked to him a little yesterday..." I wasn't sure what she was asking.

"I mean like _really_ talked. I know he's close with Ichigo and I noticed him over at the Kurosaki's that one day. I dunno...Has he said anything to you about me?" I froze remembering my pinky promise with Hisagi.

"Uh..." Michiru noticed my reaction and smiled.

"He didn't want you to tell me, that's okay I understand. If you told him you wouldn't, I don't expect you to."

"I'm sorry." She held up her hands.

"No really, it's fine. I wouldn't want you to break any promises."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." She folded her hands in her lap, looking prepared.

"What's going on? You guys are okay, right?"

"Yeah, we're fine. He just acts a little weird once in a while. The only thing is..." Michiru sighed and pushed her bangs out of her face. "He doesn't want to be around me very much and I just don't understand what changed. I dunno, maybe we're not fine. Sometimes when he calls or when we're alone I'm scared he's going to break up with me." My eyebrows turned down and I patted her arm.

"If you feel that way maybe you should talk to him, try to clear some stuff up. Honestly, I don't think he wants to break up with you. It's obvious that you guys care about each other and I don't understand why he would _want_ to end your relationship." She glanced at me before looking down at her hands. "...What?"

"I think he _thinks_ he has a legitiment reason to break up with me."

"What reason?" She stared off and absently messed with her shirt tail before answering.

"Hisagi's used to his girlfriends...putting out and..." I smiled.

"And you don't." She shook her head. "Michiru, if Hisagi can't get passed that then he's not worth it. No offense, I know you care about him a lot but if you're that set against it he should respect your decision and get over it."

"I know, that's what I think too...but what if he breaks up with me? I love him, it would kill me, especially if it was because of that."

"I don't want to sound judgemental but...you love him? Honestly, I don't know much about you two as a couple and I'm asking more out of curiousity." She smiled, looking directly at me now.

"I really love him. I could spend the rest of my life with him." My eyes widened subtly.

"If you care about him that much, why are you so..."

"Opposed to sex?" I nodded. "I don't believe in premarital sex, no exceptions." Her smile widened as she spoke.

"Oh, then he should definitly respect your beliefs."

"He has been really good about it in the past but now he's just...pulling away from me. I dunno, I need to talk to him. That is if he can fit me in his schedule." She rolled her eyes, a smile still on her face. Michiru stood, looking down at me. "Thanks for talking with me, sorry for complaining. I don't want to dump my troubles on you."

"Please, that's what friends are for. I'm glad you feel comfortable enough to share this stuff with me."

"Of course, you've been here plenty long enough. Besides, you're practically a Kurosaki. You're part of our family." She winked at me jokingly as I pushed myself off the bed.

"I wouldn't go that far." Michiru pulled open my door, laughing quietly.

"I dunno about that, I've never seen Ichigo so...happy. Honestly, he was a bit of a jerk with his other girlfriends but he acts so different with you." She glanced at me as we headed down the stairs. "I think he loves you."

"I think...I don't know what to say to that." I smiled as Michiru laughed. We stepped into the kitchen, getting Renji and Byu's attention.

"You don't know what to say to what?" Renji looked up from his seat at the table. Kisa was still working with his hair, tugging harder than before. I shook my head, trying to brush it off but Michiru opened her mouth.

"To Ichigo _loving_ her." Renji smiled but Byu's eyebrows shot up, he looked caught off guard.

"Did he say that to you?" I rolled my eyes and placed my hands on my hips.

"No, Michiru's starting rumors."

"Oh."

"God, Byu, have a heart attack over it." I patted him on the shoulder and leaned against his chair. Renji tapped his knuckles against the table.

"Don't worry, 'Yuakuya, it's not like he deflowered her or anything. He would've told me if it was that serious." Byu glared at Renji who was obviously having fun screwing with him.

"Shut up, Renji, you asshole." Renji grinned at me and shrugged. Kisa yanked on the length of his hair, causing him to flinch.

"Damn it, you did that on purpose Kisa."

"No duh, you dumbass." He laughed at her comment but flinched again as she finished the long braid. Kisa tied it off and let go of his hair. "There, now get away from me." Renji turned in his seat and tapped her chin with his index finger.

"No way, you totally earned a hug." He stood and picked her up in a tight embrace. Kisa sighed, sounding agitated, with her hands to her sides. Renji sat her back down and took his seat. "You know I'm just messing with you, right?" She sighed again, this time less angrily.

"Yes."

"Good." He patted her back and turned to Michiru. She leaned against the back of my brother's chair and smiled over at me.

"Do you care if we hang out for a while? Hisagi ditched me and Mina's out with her family. We're a little lost." I shrugged, not sure what they wanted to do. I glanced down at Byu who looked at me questioningly.

"Don't look at me, I don't mind. Stay as long as you like." Michiru nodded and took a seat on the other side of the table.

"Thank you, Mr. Kuchiki."

"Call him Byuakuya, he's not my father." She laughed and shrugged.

"Okay." I leaned against the table momentarily but ended up sitting on Byu's knee. Renji looked around the kitchen and glanced in the living room before speaking.

"So Ichigo and Kon really aren't here?" I laughed.

"Uh, no? Why do you act so surprised?"

"Because you four are never apart, especially you and Ichigo." I rolled my eyes and leaned back against my brother.

"That's not true." Byu laughed and nudged me.

"Yes it is."

"Yeah, don't be embarrassed about it." Renji smiled at me teasingly. My eyebrows turned down slightly, confused by his logic.

"Why would I be embarrassed about that?"

"Well, you are dating _Ichigo_." Michiru laughed, smiling at Renji from across the table.

"Leave her alone, at least she's not dating you."

"Please, don't even. You know you'd be all in my business if Mina weren't around." She snorted, covering her mouth to hold back laughter.

"You're an idiot. I wouldn't date you if you were the last guy on earth." He shook his head, running a hand over his hair absently.

"Yeah right, we're so compatable. It would work and you would like it." She brushed him off, rolling her eyes. I glanced over at Kisa, who had been silent for a while. She was leaning on Renji, resting her weight on his shoulder. When our eyes met she smiled. There was a loud knock on the door and I stood, glancing at Byu curiously. "I bet you twenty bucks that it's Ichigo." I walked around my brother and held my hand out to him.

"Deal." After shaking hands with Renji I headed towards the door as the knocking got louder. When I pulled the front door open I was shocked to see my "Uncle" Katsurou and "Grandfather" Takashi Kuchiki. "Uh...hi..." Katsurou smiled down at me, placing a hand on my head.

"Hello Rukia. Can we come in?"

"Yeah, of course." I stepped aside and allowed them to enter the living room. I led them to the kitchen towards Byu. "Byu, you have company." He turned in his seat and looked up at his family. A surprised expression found it's way to his face as his brother smiled down at him. I looked over at Renji, remembering our bet. "You owe me twenty dollars." He sighed and shook his head.

"Yeah, yeah." I smiled and brushed it off, sitting back in my brother's lap. Byuakuya finally addressed his family, obviously caught off guard.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to see how you guys were doing." Katsurou glanced across the table at Michiru. "And we wanted to meet the new member of our family." Michiru held up her hands smiling.

"Oh no, I'm not Kisa." She pointed towards Kisa, who was now standing up straight. "That's Kisa." Katsurou nodded and Takashi held his hand out to her.

"It's nice to meet you, Kisa." His tone was low and a little monotonous. Kisa stepped closer to Renji with her eyes glued to the floor. "We came all this way to see you and you're not even going to speak?"

"Father, leave her alone. She's not comfortable with strangers."

"That's what you said about Rukia." Byuakuya shrugged, grabbing my arm carefully and pulling me away from the edge of the seat. Renji grabbed Kisa's hand and tugged. Katsurou elbowed his father and laid a hand on Kisa's shoulder gently.

"Ignore him, I wouldn't want to talk to him either." Kisa pulled away subtly and nodded. It was strange seeing her like that, she hadn't acted that shy since the first time she stayed with us. He smiled down at her and stepped back, giving her a little room. He turned back to Byu, giving his brother his attention. "Who are all these kids?"

"Rukia and Kisa's friends." Katsurou glanced at Renji and nudged my arm.

"Is he your boyfriend?"

"God no." Renji laughed and spoke up.

"I'm taken but I know she thinks about me." My "uncle" gave Renji a confused look before turning back to me.

"He's full of crap, don't listen to him." Takashi spoke up, directly speaking to Byu.

"We came here to talk to you and Kisa alone." Byuakuya sighed and nodded before nudging me. I stood and so did Renji and Michiru. I led them upstairs to our sitting room where Renji spread out on the couch.

"That man didn't seem very friendly." I nodded, sitting on the floor by the couch.

"He's not. Most of their family don't get along very well with Byuakuya."

"Why not?" I shrugged, leaning back against the furniture.

"They didn't like Hisana very much so when they got married his parents were really angry."

"Why didn't they like her?" Renji sat his head up, resting his chin on his arms as he spoke.

"We came from a poor family and they thought he was too good for her." Renji rolled his eyes, looking annoyed.

"I hate people like that." He glanced at Michiru. "Like her mother, she hates me because my family doesn't have as much money as they do." Michiru patted his back, smiling.

"She doesn't hate you, she's just a little stuck up. My dad loves you, in case you couldn't tell." Renji nodded and turned to me.

"He told me that I should propose to Michiru once we were out of high school."

"He did?" Michiru's eyes were wide.

"Yeah, he said he'd go with me to pick out the engagement ring and everything. He offered to pay for the whole thing." 'Chiru laughed and shook her head.

"What did you say to that?"

"I jokingly told him I'd consider it, though I think he took me seriously." She rolled her eyes.

"Well, he's going to be disappointed and so will you when I turn you down." Renji laughed and shrugged.

"I think I can handle it." Before Michiru could respond, the loud ringing of my phone interupted them. I stood, but Renji stopped me. "I'll bet you my twenty bucks back that it's Ichigo." I laughed and pulled away.

"Okay, you're on." I left for room and picked my phone up off my bed and answered without checking the screen. "Hello?"

"Rukia? Were you serious about not coming over tonight? My sister told me to ask you to preeeeeeetty please come over for dinner." I sighed in defeat and headed back to the sitting room where Renji waited eagerly.

"Of course I was serious Ich-...Kon." Renji sighed angrily.

"What? I'm not Kon." Renji looked up at me questionly and grabbed my arm. He pulled the phone away from me forcefully and held it up to his ear.

"Hello?" I heard Ichigo mumble something on the other line, sounding confused. "Ichigo! I knew it was you! Rukia you're such a liar, no money for you." Ichigo yelled at Renji, earning a laugh from the red-head. Renji handed my phone back and rolled his eyes.

"What's wrong Ichigo?" He sighed, sounded sincerely pissed off.

"He's getting on my nerves, I called to talk to you not him. Why is he over there anyway?"

"Calm down, Ichigo. He came over with Michiru to hang out for a while." I sat back on the ground, stretching my legs out in front of me.

"Whatever, are you coming or not?" I sighed, annoyed with his attitude.

"No, I'm not."

"Okay, bye-"

"Wait, why are you mad at me?" Michiru glanced over at me but I ignored her.

"I'm not, sorry, Renji just pissed me off." He sighed again, sounding less angry. "Sorry, Rukia."

"It's okay."

"Bye."

"Bye." He hung up and I flipped my phone shut. Renji ruffled up my hair happily.

"Ha! I got my money back." I pulled away and pushed my hair out of my face.

"You really pissed him off and I don't really know why." Renji rolled his eyes again.

"He's just jealous that someone else gets a little of your time. Don't worry, he'll get over it." There was a knock on the door and I turned to see Katsurou.

"Hey Rukia, we're about to leave, can I talk to you for a minute?" I stood and nodded. We headed towards my bed room. He pushed the door shut and sat next to me on my bed. "I just wanted to ask how you were doing? Last time I saw you you looked miserable."

"I was. I'm doing better now, going back to school really helped keep Sana off my mind."

"Byu said you've been pretty social lately." I smiled and shrugged.

"Not really, my friends dragged me out of the house every weekend until I just went willingly." He smiled and pushed his hair behind his shoulder. His dark hair was similar to Byuakuya's but it only passed his shoulders by an inch or two.

" 'Yuakuya also said you have a boyfriend. Why isn't he here to meet us?"

"Well, we didn't exactly know you guys were coming over. Is it just a Kuchiki thing to show up unannounced?" He laughed and leaned back on his hands.

"Only with family. Seriously though, I wanna meet him and soon."

"Okay, come back tomorrow. I invite you to dinner but please don't bring Grampa." Katsurou laughed and nodded.

"That sounds good. Will Kisa's boyfriend be here too?"

"Probably, Ichigo and Kon are practically attached at the hip." He nodded and patted my shoulder.

"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow." We stood from the bed and he hugged me tightly. I returned the gesture, glad to see him again. "Oh, is it okay if I bring my fiancée?"

"You're engaged?" He nodded, smiling as he took a step towards the door. "That must be why you're so happy." He laughed and shook his head.

"That's not the _only_ reason."

"Regardless, yes, bring her over. I want to meet her." We finished our goodbyes and within the next few minutes Takashi and Katsurou were gone.

The next day I texted Ichigo and asked him if he was free for dinner with my uncle. He responded about a half hour later, excitedly accepting my invitation. It had barely been twenty- four hours since we'd last seen each other but despite myself, I was anticipating his arrival. Ichigo and Kon showed up at about four, an hour before I told them to show up. Byuakuya answered the door, letting them in while Kisa and I, still donning our sweats, set the table. The three of them entered the kitchen as Kisa and I finished our task. Before any greetings could be said, Kon opened his mouth, looking confused.

"You guys still aren't dressed? You two look like you rolled out of bed ten minutes ago." I rolled my eyes, placing my hands on my hips.

"Why should we get dressed for dinner? It's just you guys and family." Kon smiled and nudged me carefully.

"Slackers."

"What's the big deal? You guys are dressed in jeans and tshirts, might as well be wearing sweats." Kon looked down at me and shook his head.

"Are you kidding me? These are _new _jeans, they might as well be dress pants." I laughed and raised my eyebrows, faking enthusiasm.

"Whatever, Kon."

"He's right, Rukia, you two should go get dressed. You can lay around in your pajama's all day tomorrow." Byuakuya smiled down at me from the other side of the kitchen. I sighed and rolled my eyes.

"Fine, _Mother_." Kisa and I headed up the stairs and unwillingly headed for my closet. Kisa hadn't been able to bring a lot of her clothes over from her house when she came back so we started sharing. Some days we'd go to her closet and other days we'd dig through mine. She leaned against the wall as I scanned for something to wear. "This reminds me, we need to swing by your parent's house and pick up your clothes." She shrugged, looking a little uncomfortable. "Oh, if you're not comfortable with that I can get Kon to go with me. Maybe after dinner tonight I can drag him out there."

"Okay."

"We also need to go shopping, I dunno about you but I haven't gotten new clothes in almost a year." Kisa smiled and nodded. I pulled out a long yellow dress I hadn't worn in a while and tossed it on the bed. I continued scanning for something Kisa could wear. She sighed tiredly and folded her arms.

"I really don't wanna get dressed." I laughed and glanced at her.

"I know what you mean." I turned back to the clothes and pulled out a black dress. It was made out of really soft fabric and looked sort of plain. Unlike the one I had picked out, this dress had long sleeves and wasn't as lengthy. It stopped a little past my knees, where as the yellow one nearly dragged on the floor. "Here, my sister made this dress a few years ago and gave it to me. It's really comfortable, you should wear it." Kisa shrugged and hesitated, causing me to smile. "If you don't like it, you don't have to wear it."

"No, it's fine but are sure you're okay with my wearing Hisana's stuff?" I nodded.

"Of course, I don't mind at all."

"Okay." She took the dress and headed for her own room. I changed quickly into the long yellow dress and brushed my hair before heading down the stairs. Kon and Ichigo were sitting at the table as Byu finished up with the food. Kon looked up at me as I entered the room and smiled.

"Much better, you don't look like a bum anymore."

"Shut up Kon." I sat across the table from Ichigo and rested my elbow on the table's surface. Kisa joined us a few minutes later and sat next to me. Once Byuakuya was done with the food he covered it and leaned back against the kitchen counter. I glanced at the clock to check the time but was distracted by a loud knock on the door. I stood and headed towards the entrance, pulling the door open expectantly. Katsurou stood on the porch alone and I turned my eyebrows down. "Where's your fiancée?" He turned and glanced towards the driveway.

"She's coming." I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"You left her in the car, how nice."

"_No_, she went back for her purse." He pushed me back jokingly and stepped in.

"Riiight." Katsurou glanced towards the kitchen before looking back down at me.

"So, which one's your boyfriend?"

"Guess."

"Hm...The one of the left?" I glanced back at Kon and shook my head.

"Nope, that's Kon, he's Kisa's." Katsurou smiled and nodded. Before anything else could be said, a woman approached the door. Her dark brown hair was down, laying over her shoulders. She had large brown eyes and smiled down at me, looking friendly. My eyes widened as the very familiar women entered my house. "...Mei Mei?" She blinked, her face falling.

"...Do I know you?" Katsurou's eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"Uh, I've met you like three times at Michiru's house." Her face turned red slightly.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. I don't remember you." I smiled and brushed it off.

"It's okay, I'm Rukia Kuchiki. I cannot believe someone as nice as you is marrying my uncle." She laughed and glanced up at her fiancé. I led them to the kitchen and took the seat next to Ichigo, giving them room to sit. Mei Mei's smile widened as she saw Kon and Ichigo.

"Hello you two." She approached Kon and hugged him. Kon returned the gesture happily.

"Hi Mei Mei!" She patted his head before hugging Ichigo. Katsurou took his seat and watched Mei Mei curiously.

"How do you know them?" She stepped around the table and took her seat between him and Kisa.

"They're good friends with Michiru."

"That woman you work for?"

"Her daughter." I spoke up, trying to help clarify.

"Michiru was the other girl who was here yesterday." He nodded, understanding and turned towards Byu.

"Well, this is Mei Mei. Apparently you're the only one out of the loop." Byuakuya smiled and greeted her politely. I looked over at my brother, getting his attention.

"You're finally going to have a nice sister." He tried to hold back his amusement.

"Rukia, that's not very nice of you to say of your Aunt." I shrugged and leaned back in my seat. I looked over at Kon and Ichigo.

"This is my uncle, Katsurou." I looked back at Katsurou. "That's Kon and Ichigo." He smiled and nodded.

"It's nice to meet you two." He asked them about summer vacation plans, politely getting to know them both when Byu gestured for me to help him. We started taking the food dishes to the table, placing them in the center.

The dinner went by quickly and Katsurou and Mei Mei didn't stay long. After eating they only talked for about ten minutes before dismissing themselves. Before leaving Katsurou gave Byu an official wedding invitation on it with all the important information listed. Once they were gone my brother and I started clearing off the table and putting the leftover food in the fridge. Kon and I made plans to go pick up Kisa's stuff but we decided to do it some other day. Kon and Ichigo stayed for a few hours and we ended up watching a movie upstairs. They left soon after the movie, leaving Kisa and I alone while Byu worked upstairs in his office.

The days started passing by quickly, each day involving long hours of sleep and little activity. Kisa and I lazed around, not sure what to do with all our free time. Most days Byuakuya worked from home so we wouldn't be left alone but there were a few times when he was needed at his work. When he was home we forced him to take well needed breaks and spend some time with us. We mostly talked over lunch and sometimes we got him out of the house for a few hours.

A week passed and Ichigo texted me saying that his dad's trip had been postponed for another two weeks. He also said that Renji was inviting everyone over to his house the following night. I gladly accepted, feeling a need to get out of the house. I briefly informed Byu about the schedule change with Ichigo and Kon staying over before asking Kisa if she wanted to go to Renji's with me. She agreed, seeming more eager than usual.

The next day couldn't come soon enough for me and when Thursday morning arrived, I texted Renji asking him when he wanted us to start showing up. He answered saying that I could come over whenever. I recieved another message from him a half hour later, asking if I could come early and help him. He wasn't very specific but I agreed and packed quickly. Kisa and I said goodbye to Byu and headed out the door thirty minutes later. Once we were in the car Kisa turned to me and smiled.

"I'm glad we found a reason to get out of the house." I nodded in agreement.

"I know, we've become so lazy. There's just nothing to do." I pulled out of the driveway and headed for Renji's house.

"So what exactly does Renji need our help with?" I shrugged as I flicked on my turn signal. After pulling out of the neighborhood, I slid into the left lane and picked up speed.

"He didn't really say, I guess Michiru couldn't there soon enough. We must be his back up."

"You think he'd ask Mina."

"I dunno, they're a little weird don't you think?" She nodded, pulling her phone out of her pocket. "They're hardly together."

"I know, they don't talk much either-" Kisa was cut off by the loud ringing of my phone. She picked it up and answered, putting it on speaker phone. "Hello?"

"Rukia? Where are you?"

"...Renji? We're on our way now, why do you sound so panicked?" I glanced over at Kisa who just stared at the phone.

" I really need your help, can you please hurry?" I smiled and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, we're only a few minutes away. What do you need us to do?"

"I have to get this house clean before my mom gets home or she's going to kick my ass." Kisa laughed and rolled her eyes.

"Okay, we'll be there soon."

"Thanks, see ya." Kisa hung up the phone and sat it in one of the empty cup holders.

I sped up slightly and cut our trip short by at least a minute. I parked behind Renji's truck and we headed for the house. He pulled open the door before we had time to knock and let us in. When we entered the living room there were blankets and clothes everywhere.

"What did you do to this place?" He sighed and started shoving towels in a basket.

"Nothing, this is what our house looks like when I'm home."

"So you're a slob." Kisa stated, straining to look up at him.

"Pretty much." He smiled down at her before continuing. Kisa walked over to him and starting helping him stuff clothes in the basket. I picked up a bundle of blankets off the carpeted floor and sat them on the recliner chair. I started folding them, working at a fast pace. Renji glanced over at me and then turned to Kisa. He nudged her with his hip to get her attention but never stopped working. "Thanks for coming, Michiru has a doctor's appointment and Mina's family is on vacation." Kisa dug under the couch pillows for clothing.

"Is Michiru sick?"

"No, she hurt her ankle and Mei Mei's taking her to get it checked out. It's all bruised and she's been complaining about being in a lot of pain so Mei Mei made an appointment." Kisa nodded at his response.

"How'd she hurt it?" Renji smiled and rolled his eyes at the question.

"She tripped and fell down two stairs." Kisa smiled, shoving the last of the dirty clothes in the basket. "Do you wanna help me start a load?"

"Sure." Renji picked up the basket and turned to me.

"We'll be right back, the laundry room's downstairs. If you finish folding them would you mind sticking them in the hall closet? It's the door with the mirror on it." I nodded and continued folding. Renji led Kisa down the stairs and into the laundry room. I could hear their muffled voices, figuring that the room was directly under the living area. They worked quickly, coming back up the stairs after only about a minute or so. I finished folding the last blanket and headed for the hall closet but Renji took the pile of covers from me and put them away. When he came back he glanced towards the kitchen. "The only place left is my room." I nodded and Kisa and I followed him back down the stairs.

The basement looked like a complete mess. Renji's bed was unmade and the matress looked like it was going to fall off the frame. There were tons of sweat pants and tshirts laying all over the floor and his half his dresser drawers were pulled open with clothes dangling over them. Numerous red bobby-pins were sprawled all over the carpet and hangers were spilling out of the closet. In his sitting area the television was on, the screen blue. His coffee table was turned over and everything that once sat on it's flat surface was now on the ground. The couch cushions were randomly placed around the room and dirty dishes were covering any open surface available.

"Holy shit, Renji." He sighed again and layed his hand on my shoulder.

"I know, I'm a pig. Lets just do our best." I laughed and nodded.

"That's all we can do." He nudged me before heading towards the coffee table. Kisa and I took the other side of the room. We started piling up his clothes. After they were all together, Kisa began collecting the bobby-pins and I gathered up the hangers. I pulled open the closet door and hung them up, pushing them away from the little amount of clothing that managed to stay on a hanger. While Kisa moved to the dresser I headed for the bed, pulling the comforter off the bed and causing stuff burried in the sheets to fall onto the floor. I sighed and started piling the objects up. Only after I read the print on the wrappers did I realize what they were. I sighed and turned towards Renji. "Really, Ren? You sleep with twenty condoms in your bed?" Renji turned away from what he was doing to look at me. He smiled and shook his head.

"No, you smart ass, I dropped the fucking box the other day and didn't feel like picking them up." I rolled my eyes and shook out the blanket, letting the remainder of condoms fall on the floor.

"If I find a used one, you're fucking dead."

"You won't, don't worry." He went back to cleaning up his sitting room, clicking off the television. After everything was off his bed I grabbed as many of the condoms in my hand and pulled open the drawer to his bedside table. I dropped them in the drawer, grabbed the rest and did the same. Then I made the bed, pushing the matress back in place and tucking the sheets underneath it. Once I was finished I looked around for something else to do but Kisa had already put the dirty clothes in a basket and taken it to the laundry room. We both stepped into the other room as Renji started picking up the used dishes sitting on an endtable. We did the same and followed him up the stairs to the kitchen, to place the glasses in the dishwasher. They were all taken care of in only two trips. The front door was pushed open as Renji started the dishwasher. Ren walked into the living room, dropped her purse and work bag on the couch and turned towards her son, a stern look on her face.

"Hey Mom."

"Hi Sweety, hello Rukia, Kisa." We smiled in response as she walked into the kitchen.

"Well, the living room looks nice. Did these two help you?" Renji smiled down at his mother and nodded.

"Yup, they're good workers. You owe them twenty bucks." Ren smiled and nudged her son.

"I should, they probably did the majority of the work. Did you start laundry?" Again Renji nodded, leaning back against the kitchen counter. "Okay, let's go see your room." Kisa and I smiled at Renji as he sighed at his mother's words. Without a word he turned and led her towards the basement. Kisa and I stayed behind, moving towards the living room. As we sat on the now clean couch I heard the sound of a car door slamming shut. Within a few moments, the door was being pushed open again and Hisagi stepped in with Michiru, who was holding onto his arm. She smiled down at Kisa and I happily.

"Hi guys! You guys got here early." I nodded, glancing down towards her ankle.

"Yeah, Renji needed help cleaning and you were busy." Her face fell and she blinked a few times before speaking.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to inconvience you guys." I waved it off.

"Don't worry about it, how's your ankle?"

"Oh, it's better, thanks for asking. It's not sprained, just 'severely bruised'." Hisagi helped her into the living room, regardless of her previous statement. He aided her to the couch and took her bag.

"I'll take our stuff downstairs." She smiled up at him and nodded.

"Okay, thank you." He headed through the kitchen, passing Renji and his mom, before heading down the stairs. Ren came into the living room, greeted 'Chiru and pointed at Kisa and I.

"You two are so sweet, thank you for helping Renji. His room hasn't looked that clean since Mina and I cleaned it about three months ago." I smiled and shrugged it off.

"You're welcome." Renji turned the attention to Michiru, asking her about her ankle. As they caught up, another car pulled into the drive way. Soon Kiba and Tatsuki were making their way into the house. My mind instantly went to Ichigo and I wondered if he knew they'd be here. They filed in, Kiba carrying both their bags, as Ren greeted them happily. Hisagi reentered the room and it started to feel a little crowded. Kisa and I scooted over to make room for Tatsuki to join us on the couch. Renji stepped back and spoke up, getting everyone's attention.

"Let's go to my room, there's too many people in here." I stood and Kisa grabbed my arm, pulling herself off the couch. Hisagi helped Michiru up and headed for the basement, not waiting for Renji. Tatsuki and Kiba walked with Renji as we headed for the basement. Ren patted my shoulder and smiled.

"You kids have fun, I'll send Shenji down when he gets home so he can say hi." We nodded and followed Renji down the stairs. When we reached his room everyone but Michiru commented on how clean it was and made comments about his "mommy" cleaning it for him. He rolled his eyes and clarified that he put a lot of effort into cleaning and they could "kiss his ass."

We all got comfortable, squeezing all four of us girls on the couch while the guys stretched out on the carpeted floor. I could tell Kisa was uncomfortable and so could the others. She still wasn't good with large amounts of people and she liked her space. After a few minutes of fidgeting she got up and sat on the floor between Renji and Kiba. Renji smiled down at her and pushed her hair behind her shoulder.

"You okay?" She glanced up at him and nodded.

"I'm fine." Renji nodded. The screen door upstairs screeched open and soon a few sets of footsteps came down the staircase. Kon and Ichigo soon joined the group, dropping their stuff of the ground next to everyone elses. Renji glanced up at them and waved.

"Hey guys, took you long enough. I said be here by noon." Ichigo narrowed his eyes slightly before glancing at the clock.

"It's 11:57, dumbass." Renji glanced at the clock and blinked.

"Oh...whatever, I was just messing with you anyway." Ichigo smiled and rolled his eyes before approaching the couch. He wedged his way between Michiru and I, practically sitting on my leg. I sighed and pulled away, trying to make sure Tatsuki had room.

"Hey Tatsuki, how're you feeling?" Ichigo glanced at her, looking over me to talk. She shrugged, a neutral expression on her face.

"Okay, I guess." He nodded, looking concerned and sympathetic. Michiru leaned forward and asked her how far along she was. I leaned back against Ichigo, feeling suffocated, and contemplated getting up. I glanced over at Kisa, who was looking more comfortable, and noticed Kon. He smiled down at me knowingly, apparently he understood my pain. I was about to push myself off the couch when Ichigo placed his hands on my waist and hoisted me onto his lap. When I looked up at him he was still deep in the conversation of Tatsuki's pregnancy and didn't notice me. I leaned back, comfortable with my newly found seat and tried to jump back into the discussion. The topic soon shifted to Michiru's ankle as she explained for the third time what had happened and that she was perfectly fine, just a little sore.

The sound of footsteps coming from the stairs quieted Michiru and everyone turned towards the entrance, waiting to see who it was. Shenji walked in donning his work clothes. He wore ratty jeans and a soaked tshirt. His hands were covered in what looked like oil or grease and he sighed as entered the room. Michiru smiled up at him.

"Hi Shenji! How was work?" He smiled down at her, taking a few more steps into the room.

"Same as always, horrible." She shook her head, pushing some hair out of her face.

"I wish you'd get a job you actually liked."

"Me too."

"Was it miserably hot?" He nodded glanced around the room.

"Hey guys, how's it going? Enjoying summer vacation?" Kon smiled up at him and nodded.

"Of course, who wouldn't enjoy having no responsibilities for two months?" Shenji smiled and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Lucky you, just wait until you get a job. There's no summer vacation or fall break, just weekends and sometimes not even that." Kon shrugged and leaned back on his hands.

"That's what you get for being an adult." Shenji grinned, rolling his eyes at Kon's joke. He turned back to Michiru.

"So your ankle isn't broken?"

"Nope, bruised. It actually feels a lot better today."

"That's good." He laid his hand on her head and she immediately pulled away. Shenji blinked as Michiru cringed. "What's wrong with you?"

"Your hands are covered in grease." She frowned and slowly felt the back of her hair. Barely any grease got in her short brown locks but she still seemed grossed out. Shenji laughed and ruffled up her hair, this time intentionally.

"You'll live, it'll wash out." She pulled away, grabbing his wrist.

"Stop!" She laughed as she tried to hold him back. He smiled and pulled his hand away.

"Look at you, you're a mess. You're gonna want to wash that out soon before it dries." She tried to glare up at him but failed to appear serious.

"You're a jerk." He shrugged and absently wiped his hands on his jeans.

"You know you love me." She nodded and held her hand out to him. He helped her up as she leaned her weight on him.

"Help me up stairs, I'm going to ask Ren to wash my hair for me. Just please don't get grease on my clothes." Shenji smiled over at Ichigo, giving him a funny look before picking Michiru up bridal style. The dark oil smeared on the back of her shirt and the leg of her jeans.

"Whatever you want, princess." Michiru sighed and folded her arms. Shenji laughed and waved to the rest of us. "Have fun kids and Hisagi, I'll return her to you soon. She'll look presentable." Hisagi laughed and nodded, looking the least bit concerned. With the Shenji turned and carried Michiru up the stairs and leaving us alone. Renji laughed and rolled his eyes.

"My dad is such an idiot."

The evening passed pretty quickly, we spent a lot of our time just sitting around and catching up. We went upstairs around three to eat a late lunch Ren prepared. After sitting at the table for about an hour, we headed back downstairs where we watched a movie. We lazed around the basement for a few more hours, just enjoying each other's company. Everyone was sprawled out on the couch or the floor while Ichigo and I shared the reclining chair. Renji stood from his seat on the couch and left the room, heading for the laundry room. He came back a minute later carrying a large bottle of what looked like vodka. He sat on the couch and placed the bottle on the coffee table. Renji started filling the empty glasses sitting on the table. Michiru sat up and folded her arms.

"Are you kidding me Renji? Put that away now." She narrowed her eyes, looking angry and frustrated. He ignored her and continued pouring. He held a glass out to Hisagi, who took it and smelled it before taking a drink. Michiru glared at him and tried to take the cup out of his hands. Hisagi pushed her hands away and leaned back against the couch. "Hisagi, stop! You're being so irresponsible, just give me the glass."

"No, get off my back 'Chiru." She tried to protest but he cut her off, glaring at her looking irritated. "God damnit, shut the fuck up and leave me alone." She stared at him, surprised and angry. After a moment of silence she pushed herself off the couch and slowly made her way towards the door. She leaned over, grabbed her bags and started for the stairs. Ichigo sat up and slid me over, standing and going after Michiru. I followed and quickly caught up to them. He grabbed her arm and let her lean her weight against him.

"Are you okay, Michiru?" Ichigo glanced back at me before waiting for 'Chiru's response. She sighed, sounding pissed.

"He's such a jackass! I'm so sick of his attitude." Michiru reached for the door handle but was stopped by Ichigo.

"Michiru, you don't have to leave." She shook her head.

"I'm leaving." Ichigo continued to help her out of the house but she froze when she faced the vehicles. She sighed and leaned back against Ichigo.

"What's wrong?" She turned to me, looking upset.

"Can you drive me home?" I smiled and nodded.

"Of course. Ichigo you'll pick me up from her house?" He nodded and waited for her to continue towards her vehicle. Michiru handed me her keys and led us to a worn looking car, one I didn't recognize. As she pulled the passenger side door open, Hisagi came from the back door making his way towards the vehicle.

"Michiru, you're not taking my car. Give me my fucking keys." He stopped in front of her and held his hand out. She glared up at him, hands on her hips.

"You're not going to sit around here, get drunk and then drive home. You can get a ride from Ichigo or someone who's not drunk." Hisagi grabbed her wrist and pried open her empty hand.

"Where the hell are my keys?" He turned towards me as I shut the driver's side door. I tossed him his keys and turned to Michiru.

"I'll give you a ride in my car." Hisagi let go of Michiru and turned back towards the house. She sighed and grabbed Ichigo's arm. Ichigo helped her to my car and threw her bag in the back. He walked around my car and glanced towards the house before turning back to me. He hugged me and told me to be careful. I returned the gesture and smiled up at him.

"When I get back will I find you passed out and smelling of alcohal?" He laughed and shook his head.

"No, I'm not drinking that shit. I told you, I'm over alcohal." I smiled and nodded.

"Good." I pulled back and grabbed the handle of the car door. He leaned over and pressed his mouth against mine, kissing me quickly before stepping back and waving to Michiru. He headed back towards the house and I slid in the car. When I turned the key in the ignition I turned to Michiru to see her covering her face with her hands. I glanced out the house before backing out of the drive way and heading towards Michiru's home.

-:-

**Okay, I'm sorry to cut it off at such a strange place but I've got to post something! I hope you all enjoy and be ready for some drama in the next chapter! Please review and tell me what you think! **


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay so I'm back! This week first trimester ended and I don't have my heavy loaded classes anymore! I should have more time but I'm completely sure yet. I most likely won't get this chapter posted until the weekend of the 18th but I'll write as much as I can!**

**Oh and thanks so much for the reviews! I was pleasantly surprised Monday morning! Thank you all!**

_While driving down the road a thick fog fell over the street, distorting my vision. Michiru sat in my passenger seat, her hands covering her face as she sobbed into them. I glanced over at her, concerned and asked her what was wrong but she ignored me and continued to cry. I tried to focus on the road as I reached over and laid a hand on her shoulder._

_"Michiru, are you-" She smacked away my hand roughly and turned towards the window. I looked back to the road, still concerned. I decided to pull over and parked on the side of the road. I turned towards 'Chiru but was surprised to see Masaki sitting in her place. She was starring out the windshield with a neutral expression plastered to her face. "Masaki? What are you doing?" She turned her head and blinked, turning her gaze to me. _

_"She's been blinded." My eyebrows turned down in confusion._

_"Who? Michiru? Does that mean death-"_

_"No, not Michiru."_

_"What? Then who?" Masaki pointed towards the back seat. I glanced back and saw Tatsuki sitting in the seat behind Mrs. Kurosaki. Her eye sockets were empty, black abyss' starring off as if they saw their surroundings regardless. "Tatsuki?" She slowly turned her head towards me. I froze, unsure of what she would do. I quickly glanced at Masaki to see a grin spread over her face. When my gaze went back to Tatsuki, she pushed herself off the seat and lunged at me viciously. _

"Rukia?" I sat up, my eyes shooting open. In the process of waking up I headbutted my brother, accidentally hitting his jaw with my forehead. He pulled away, covering his face with one hand. "What's wrong? Are you okay?" I blinked a few times, taking a deep breath.

"I'm fine, sorry. Are you alright? I didn't mean to hit you." My own hand went to my forehead as a slight migraine started throbbing mildly behind my temples.

"It's alright, I didn't mean to scare you. Michiru called, she wanted to talk to you." My eyebrows turned down, irrational panic starting to build up.

"Does she sound okay?" He shrugged, sitting on the edge of my bed.

"She sounded a little upset but she didn't really say much." I nodded as he handed over the phone.

"Michiru?"

"Hey Rukia. I'm sorry, I didn't mean for Byu to wake you up." She did sound a little upset but after her fight with Hisagi from the night before, I sort of expected her to be. After dropping her off the night before I went back over to Renji's but both Hisagi and Renji were getting obnoxious with their drinking. Kisa and I decided to leave and went home, disappointed with how our plans turned out. A few hours later Ichigo and Kon came over with Tatsuki and Kiba, also sick of Sagi and Renji's actions.

"Oh, don't worry about it. What's up?" She sighed on the other line, sounding tired. Byuakuya stood and leaned over, kissing the top of my head. I glanced up at him and smiled before he left the room.

"I wanted to ask you for a favor." She paused for a moment before continuing. "You probably think I'm dumb for being concerned but I wanted to go over to Hisagi's and check on him. I just...don't want to go by myself. Do you think you could go with me?"

"Of course. You wanna go this morning?"

"Is that okay?" I glanced at the clock as I pushed myself out of bed. It was ten-thirty and the sun was shining through the blinds brightly.

"That's fine, I just need a little time to get dressed and grab a quick breakfast. If you want I'll just pick you up in about twenty minutes."

"Okay, thanks so much."

"Don't worry about it, I'll see ya soon." After saying goodbye she hung up, leaving me to get ready. I hurried to get dressed and grabbed the quickest thing I could find for breakfast. It only took me about ten minutes before I was in my car, leaving for Michiru's house. Once I got to her place I approached the door and helped 'Chiru to the car. Her ankle was still a little sore but she was walking a lot better. She had to direct me to Hisagi's house, I hadn't been there in so long I couldn't remember how to get there. The ride there was fairly quick and Michiru kept up pleasant conversation. She seemed to be in a better mood since I'd spoken to her on the phone.

When we reached Shuuhei's house we approached the door together. She denied my help and walked to the door on her own. I pulled open the screen door and Michiru knocked loudly which surprised me. There was some shuffling before Kensei opened the door, looking groggy. He ran a hand through his disheveled hair and stood there in his boxers looking down at us with a confused expression on his face.

"Hey girls, what's up?" He stepped back and let us in. Michiru smiled up at him and rolled her eyes.

"This is how you answer the door? That's very inappropriate." He smiled down at her.

"What's the big deal? You're family."

"You didn't know it was me, Kensei." He shrugged and shut the door. After turning on the lights in the living room he asked us what we were doing there. "I wanted to see Hisagi, is he still sleeping?"

"I thought he was at Renji's with you guys." Michiru shook her head and leaned back, sitting on the arm of the couch.

"I texted Renji and he said that he left last night."

"Really? I didn't even here him come in. Well, I guess he's in his room." She nodded and stood again, pushing herself off the couch.

"I'll be right back." She headed for Hisagi's room and I wasn't sure what she wanted me to do. Kensei looked down at me as I stood in place.

"I'm gonna go get dressed, I'll be back." I smiled and nodded as he headed down the hallway. Michiru pushed open the door on the other side of the living room. Before entering she glanced back at me and gestured for me to follow her. I hesitantly walked over to her and entered the room with her.

"Hisagi, get up, it's going on eleven." She made her way to the windows and pulled open the blinds. I glanced over at the bed. Hisagi was completely covered up, it looked like he was sprawled out. He turned over and mumbled something, kicking a leg out from under the blanket. Michiru sighed and approached the bed. She pulled back the blanket, revealing his head, and shook his shoulder. "Get up, Hisagi." He sat up quickly, groggily pushing his hair out of his face.

"Hm?" After rubbing his eyes he looked up at Michiru. A surprised expression crossed his features and for a moment he just stared at her, looking frozen.

"What's wrong? Does your head hurt?" Before he could answer someone else sat up in the bed. My eyes widened, surprised to see a girl appear from the pile of blanket. Ryo pushed her long dark hair out of her face and sighed angrily. Michiru stood shocked, speechless. Hisagi grabbed her hand, a frown forming on his face.

"Michiru-" She pulled her hand away and smacked him across the face.

"You jerk! I can't believe you." She took a step away from the bed, her fists clenched at her sides. "I've had enough of you, we're through, Hisagi. Stay away from me!" Michiru turned and stomped out of the room, storming past me and left the house without looking back. Kana and Kensei approached the door and peaked in. Kana's eyes widened and she entered the room, yelling at her son loudly. I looked up at Kensei.

"I'm gonna go." He nodded and folllowed Kana into the room. I headed for the door and quickly made it to my car. Michiru was waiting patiently in the passenger seat, looking angry. I got in the car and turned to her, about to ask if she was okay but stopped when Hisagi came rushing out the front door. He was donning sweatpants and nothing else.

"Michiru wait." She turned towards me.

"Can we please leave." I nodded and locked the doors before starting the engine and backing out of the drive way, leaving Hisagi behind. I quickly drove towards the entrance of the neighborhood and turned onto the main road. Michiru rested her head in her hands, making me think of my eery dream from the night before. I pushed the thought away and glanced at her.

"Are you alright?" She shook her head and started crying.

"I hate him." I laid my hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry, I can't believe he did this." She shook her head and wiped her eyes.

"It's not your fault."

"Do you want me to take you home?"

"No, he'll go there looking for me. I hate to impose but can I stay at your house for a few hours?" I glanced at her again and nodded.

"Of course, you're not imposing." The rest of the ride was silent aside from a muted sob coming from Michiru once every few minutes. I pulled into my drive way and parked next to Byu's car. After killing the engine and grabbing the keys from the ignition I turned back to 'Chiru. She was slumped against the window, starring off. "Are you ready to go inside?" She sighed and sat up, staring down at her hands.

"I guess." She shook her head again and wiped away a few stray tears. "I'm sorry, I'm not going to act like this."

"What? You have every right to feel that way."

"Thanks." I nodded and she finally pushed open her door before sliding out of the vehicle. I followed her and hit the lock button. Before we could reach the porch Ichigo's truck pulled into the drive way behind my car. Michiru glanced back but continued into the house without me. I waited behind until Ichigo and Kon were approaching me with concerned looks on their faces. Kon stepped past me and pulled open the front door, holding it for me.

"Hey Rukia, what's Michiru doing here? Is everything okay?" I pushed my hair out of my face, walking into the house with Ichigo and Kon following.

"Not really." When we entered the living room we found Michiru sitting on the couch, covering her face with her hands. Kon sat next to her and laid an arm over her shoulders.

"Michi, what's wrong?" She looked up at him, tears in her eyes, before hugging onto him tightly. Kon wrapped his free arm around her and looked up at me confused. "What's going on?" I wasn't sure if I should explain or not but decided to fill them in with as little of details as possible.

"Michiru asked me to drive her over to Hisagi's to check on him and when we went into his room he was with that Ryo girl." Kon's eyes widened noticeably as he tightened his grip on Michiru. Ichigo stepped around me and rested a hand on her shoulder.

"That son of a bitch."

"Michiru, it's okay. You're better off without that dick." She burried her face in Kon's shoulder as he spoke, crying loudly. Byuakuya entered the living room still donning his sweats. He looked down at Michiru and Kon concerned.

"Is everything okay?" I nodded and brushed him off. Kon looked up at me and asked me to get some ice for her ankle. I wasn't sure why he asked but left for the ice without questioning it. When I reentered the living room Michiru had her leg elevated on the coffee table and she was leaned back against the couch. I handed Kon the ice and he rested it on her sore ankle, she winced slightly.

"Thanks." She had stopped crying but was still obviously upset. After a few minutes Ichigo and I left her with Kon, who sat and talked with her on the couch for almost an hour. Ichigo and I waited upstairs, sitting on my bed. He glanced out the door before looking at me curiously.

"Where's Kisa?"

"She's probably still sleeping."

"Is she okay?" I nodded, laying back in my unmade bed while kicking off my shoes.

"Yeah, she sleeps pretty late." He nodded and laid down next to me, resting his head on my shoulder. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just pissed off. I could beat the shit out of Hisagi." I turned and met his eyes.

"I'm pretty sure his mother beat you to it." Ichigo smiled and turned on his side.

"Good, I hope she did the same to that whore, Ryo." He stretched his arm over me, wrapping it around my waist. "I still can't believe Hisagi'd be dumb enough to do that. He hates Ryo." My hand went to his hair absently as he spoke. I shook my head slightly, leaning the weight of it against Ichigo's.

"Can you imagine how Renji's going to react?"

"Yeah, I can imagine." Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes. We were silent for a few moments and I thought maybe Ichigo was falling asleep. I continued messing with his orange spikes while staring at my ceiling. "So Kon and I are moving in in a few days, excited?" I smiled over at him and shrugged.

"I guess." He laughed and rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, you act it." My smile widened as he leaned more weight against me.

"Will you get off me? You're crushing me." He closed his eyes again and shook his head.

"Nope, I won't." I sighed and opened my mouth to say something but was distracted as Kisa approached my open door. "Morning, Kisa." She nodded at Ichigo before looking down at me.

"Who's downstairs crying?"

"Michiru. She caught Hisagi cheating on her this morning." Kisa's eyes widened slightly as she pushed her disheveled bangs out of her eyes.

"Oh."

"Kon's down there with her." She nodded and turned her head, looking towards the staircase.

"Where's Byuakuya?"

"I'm not sure, probably in his office." Without another word she hesitated down the stairs. I turned back to Ichigo who's eyes quickly met mine. I kissed his cheek before sitting up and pushing his arms away.

"Hey, come on, what are you doing?"

"I'm going downstairs to see how Kon and 'Chiru are doing." Ichigo sighed and grabbed my wrist as I stood.

"I'm sure Kon's handling it. Stay." I laughed and pulled away.

"No, stop whining." His eyebrows turned down as he pushed himself into a sitting position.

"I'm not whining, I'm telling."

"Riiiight." I took a step back before turning for the door. I quickly made my way down the stairs and entered the living room. Michiru was sprawled out on the couch covered up with the blanket that usually resides on the back of the furniture. She appeared to be sleeping but I wasn't sure so I stayed quiet. Kon was sitting back in the recliner adjacent to the couch with Kisa sitting on his lap, leaning against him tiredly. He smiled up at me happily.

"Hey Rukia."

"Hey, is Michiru sleeping?"

"Yup, fell asleep just a few minutes ago. She stopped crying long enough to get comfortable." I nodded and glanced down the hallway towards Byu's office. He was stepping out and approached me smiling.

"Hey, how is your friend?" I gestured towards Michiru's resting form. "She can stay in a guest room, she'll probably sleep better."

"That's a good idea." Kon was about to get up but Byuakuya stopped him.

"I'll get her. Rukia go open the guest room down the hall." I did as he said, pushing open our only downstairs guest room door. I approached the bed and pulled back the blankets, trying to make things easier on Byu. He quickly brought her into the room, laying her on the bed and covering her up. I was surprised she didn't stir but she continued airsnoring quietly. Byu smiled down at her before nudging me towards the door and following me back into the living room. Kon grinned up at my brother.

"You'd be a really good dad, Byu." Byuakuya blinked, looking caught off guard.

"Oh, thanks." I heard footsteps on the stair case and turned to see Ichigo. He gave me a funny look before walking around me to sit on the couch, stretching his legs out onto the coffee table.

"Where's Michiru?"

"Byu took her to a guest room so she could sleep better." Kon answered as he readjusted Kisa in his lap. Ichigo cocked an eyebrow.

"She fell asleep?"

"Yeah, she seemed pretty drained."

Michiru slept until nearly five in the afternoon and stayed with us for dinner. She didn't say much when she did wake up and looked on the verge of tears the whole time. After pushing her food around her plate she spent another hour laying on the couch, staring at the wall of the living room. Byuakuya spent about twenty minutes talking with her. Within a few minutes she was crying again but that didn't seem to phase him. Once they were done talking, Michiru seemed to be more composed and told me that she had texted Renji, asking him to come pick her up. She apologized for "bothering" us with her moping and thanked Byuakuya for letting her stay at our house. About twenty minutes later Renji knocked on the door and let himself in. He sat next to her on the couch after saying hello to everyone. He elbowed her gently to get her attention.

"Are you ready to go home?" She rubbed her eyes tiredly and nodded. Renji stood and held his hand out to her. She took it and pulled herself off the couch. She smiled up at my brother looking a lot better.

"Thanks for everything. Thanks guys for making me feel better." As they turned for the exit, there was another loud knock on the door. I quickly advanced towards the entrance and pulled the door open. I was surprised to see Hisagi standing there.

"Hey, is Michiru here?" I glanced over at her but before I could say anything about Renji approached the door, looking pissed. I stepped back as Renji pushed the door completely open, slamming it against the living room wall.

"You son of a bitch, I'm going to beat the shit-"

"Renji!" Michiru yelled at him, taking a few steps closer to the door. "Stop, just make him leave."

"Pfft, if you has a brain in his head he'll leave." Hisagi narrowed his eyes and shoved Renji back.

"Move Renji, this has nothing to do with you." He made his way into the house and turned towards Michiru but didn't get a word in before Renji swung at him. The blow hit Hisagi in the stomach, causing him to keel over. Renji shoved him out the door and off of the cement steps just outside of the entrance onto the ground. Ichigo and Byuakuya pushed past me, grabbing Renji before he could do anything else.

"Renji, stop." Renji ignored Ichigo and tried to fight their hold. He was able to free his arm from Ichigo and gained some ground long enough to step out of the house, kicking Hisagi in his side. Michiru ran towards the door and pushed her way between Renji and Hisagi.

"Stop!" She weakly shoved him back, getting his attention. "Just take me home, please." Hisagi pushed himself off the ground and grabbed Michiru's arm. She tried to pull away but couldn't. Renji used his free hand to shove Hisagi back again, practically knocking him back on the ground.

"Don't touch her you bastard!"

"Fuck you! Why don't you leave us alone and stay out of our fucking business?" Renji freed his other arm from Byuakuya and started pulling Michiru towards his truck.

"Come on, 'Chiru." She gladly followed, quickening her pace. Renji glanced back at Hisagi before pulling open the passenger door for Michiru. "You better leave her alone or I'll beat the shit out of you." He pushed the door shut after helping Michiru in and quickly walked around the truck, pulling himself in. He started the vehicle and backed out of the drive way, driving off quickly and going way above the speed limit. Hisagi sighed and rubbed his eyes, looking tired and upset. Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets before addressing him.

"Hisagi just go home, leave Michiru alone." He nodded in response and headed towards his own vehicle and left without another word. Byuakuya and Ichigo came back into the house and closed the door. I glanced over at Kisa who was leaning back in the reclining chair covering her ears with her hands. Byuakuya approached her, a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you okay?" He kneeled down in front of her and laid his hand on her arm. She opened her eyes and nodded, slowly pulling her hands away from her ears. "Are you sure?" Kisa brushed her hair behind her ear.

"Yes, sorry." Byu shook his head and reassured her, telling her that they were gone. She seemed at ease knowing that they had left and appeared better at once, making Byuakuya smile. He pushed himself off the ground and laid his hand on her head, smoothing out her hair. She smiled back at him and grabbed his wrist before shoving his hand away. I sat on the couch, leaning back tiredly. It was only a quarter past six but I felt the events of the day weighing on me. I laid my head back and closed my eyes. I felt someone plop down on the couch next to me but didn't look to see who it was. Byuakuya made a comment to me, saying something about going to bed but I ignored him. I heard him laugh quietly before commenting to Kisa about not letting me fall asleep on the couch. He dismissed himself and shuffled back down the hallway. I felt a hand press against my forehead as Kon asked me something about feeling sick. I shook my head and turned away, putting distance between his hand and my skin. After sitting on the couch and practically falling asleep I forced my eyes open and pushed myself off the couch. I looked down at Ichigo, who was the one to sit next to me.

"I'm going to bed, I'll see you later." He smiled and held his hand up.

"Bye." I went up the stairs after saying goodnight to Kon and Kisa. I couldn't believe how exhaustion had hit me so suddenly. I thought about all the times I'd come home from school and sleep, days after Hisana's death. The emotions of it had really taken it's toll on my body and I realized as I groggily made it to my bed that it must have been from watching Michiru crying all day. I felt so bad for her and worried about her the whole time she stayed over. I tried to push the thoughts away as I curled up under my blankets and tried to fall asleep. After laying there for nearly twenty minutes I finally started drifting off. While on the verge of sleep I heard the door being pushed open. I tried to ignore it but woke as soon as someone touched my exposed arm and sat up.

"Wha-"

"Sh, sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up." I narrowed my eyes to get a look at Ichigo's face in the dark room. The sun was completely gone and my curtains were drawn, between that and the lack of electrical light, the room was completely dark. Ichigo pulled back the blanket, exposing me further to the freezing air.

"What are you doing?" He slid onto the bed next to me as I laid back down. "What the hell?" He rested his head on the pillow next to mine and slid his arms around me.

"I was going to check on you, Kon's really worried that you're sick or something. Once I saw that you were asleep I was just going to feel your forehead again but you jumped awake before I had the chance." I sighed while pulling closer to him, his body heat warming up my blankets as well as myself.

"I wasn't asleep, I was _this_ close but you disturbed me."

"Oh, well either way, I'm sorry."

"Yeah, yeah." I glanced over and saw the door cracked open. "Go shut the door, that light is killing my eyes." He stood and quickly closed the door before slipping back into bed. "I hope Byuakuya sees you, he'll get so pissed at you." I smiled in his direction, only capable of seeing the outline of his face.

"Hey, you'll get in trouble too. You're not exactly kicking me out of here."

"If he did find us, I'll just pretend to be asleep and play clueless." Ichigo laughed quietly as I closed my eyes.

"You're such a bitch." My smile widened and I shrugged, not caring enough to respond. "What's wrong? Why're you so tired?"

"I dunno, I think it's just all the drama. It's exhausting." He nodded as he wrapped his arms around me again. "What's wrong with _you_? Why are you so warm?"

"I think you're just cold because your room is freezing. Is your window open?"

"I don't think so." I turned and glanced at my window as it stood wide open. "What the hell?"

"What? Didn't you open it?"

"No, I'm almost positive it was shut last night. I haven't paid much attention to it so I guess I can't be sure." I pushed the blankets off and pulled away from Ichigo, throwing my legs over the edge of my bed. My feet brushed the freezing hard wood floor and I had to force myself to proceed to the window. I shoved it shut and locked it, not remembering ever unlocking it. I hurried back to the bed and curled up in the warm blankets, not laying back down.

"Maybe Byuakuya opened it earlier when it was getting a little warm outside." I nodded, pulling the blankets closer. "Are you more awake now?"

"Not really."

"Do you want me to leave so you can sleep?" I finally stretched out my legs and laid back down, pulling closer to Ichigo's warmth.

"No, I'll fall asleep whether you're here or not." I rested my head on his shoulder and laid an arm over him. I closed my eyes again and felt myself drifting off immediately. He rested the weight of his head against mine and sighed, sounding tired. I slipped off into a deep sleep quickly. I could feel myself slip deeper and deeper into the relms of what felt like a dream but woke as soon as the light flooded my room and disturbed my exposed eyes. I squinted at the door and saw the outline of Kon. I groaned and pulled the blanket over my head.

"Sorry Rukia, is Ichigo asleep?" I glanced up at him and found him airsnoring.

"Yes." Kon chuckled before he started shaking Ichigo's sleeping form.

"Ichigo, get up. Come on, Isshin wanted us home an hour ago." I helped shake Ichigo until he finally opened his eyes and listened to Kon. He nodded and scrubbed the side of his face with his hand. I pulled away from him and curled up in the crisp blankets.

"Bye guys, be careful getting home."

"Bye Rukia, get some sleep." Kon stepped back and left after telling Ichigo to hurry up. Ichigo sat up and stretched his arms over his head. He pushed the blankets off his legs and turned towards me. He leaned over and pushed my hair out of my face before pressing his lips to mine. I kissed him back quickly and pulled away before turning on my side.

"Night Rukia." He sat up and stood, yawning quietly as he headed towards the door.

"Night." I closed my eyes again and before another thought could run through my mind, I was out.

-:-

The next few days were fairly uneventful. I texted Michiru two days after she broke up with Hisagi and asked her how she was. I was planning on going to visit her but she said she was leaving with her parents for vacation. After a few days of lazing around the house in our sweats, Byuakuya made Kisa and I clean up the house. Ichigo and Kon were going to be coming over later that day and apparently the house needed to be clean when they got there. We didn't ask questions and started by picking up the house, getting all the clothes and random objects off the floors before vacuuming. Kisa went ahead and sweeped the kitchen floor then moved onto the dishes. After finishing with the vacuum I picked up my room, actually taking the time to make my bed. I threw all my dirty clothes in the hamper before heading back down the stairs to help Kisa finish with the dishes. Once the house was up to Byu's standards we sat at the table and started talking just in time for Byuakuya to enter the kitchen.

"You guys need to get dressed."

"What? Why?"

"Just do it." I sighed and turned in my chair.

"Why are you making such a big deal out of this? It's just Kon and Ichigo." Byuakuya smiled and pushed some of my disheveled hair out of my face.

"Isshin's coming over, I didn't want him seeing _your_ pigsty." I rolled my eyes.

"Who cares if we're in our pajamas."

"Stop arguing and go get dressed." I narrowed my eyes and considered refusing but didn't feel like putting the effort into it.

"Fine, jerk." I sighed as Kisa and I pushed away from the table. We headed up the stairs without speaking and branched off towards our bedrooms. I heard Ichigo's truck drive up our street as I shut my door but when he killed the engine there was another vehicle's engine rumbling. I glanced out the window and saw Isshin's small car parked behind Ichigo's truck. Both of Ichigo's sisters followed their father and brother to the front door. I turned and pulled open my closet, looking for something to change into. I grabbed a black cotton dress and pulled it over my tanktop before yanking my shorts off and throwing them in the hamper. I took off my socks and did the same, closing the half-full laundry container and heading out the door. Kisa was already half way down the stairs donning jeans and a hoodie with **KON** printed on the back. She turned and smiled up at me as I followed her to the living room.

Isshin and Byuakuya were talking while Kon and Ichigo's sisters were sitting on the couch, laughing and talking. Ichigo stood with his arms folded in front of the coffee table. Isshin turned towards Kisa and I as we entered the room, smiling.

"Hey, girls." I returned the gesture and approached them, leaning against my brother absently.

"Hi." Kisa said her own greeting before sitting on the recliner, pulling her legs onto the chair.

"You think you can put up with my boys for a few days?" Isshin's question was directed to me. I feigned annoyance and shrugged.

"If I _have_ to." He laughed quietly and ruffled up my hair. Byuakuya nudged me with his elbow and gestured towards the living room. Isshin glanced over at his kids before turning his attention back to me.

"Your brother and I are going to talk in the kitchen, why don't you keep my girls company?" I shrugged and nodded.

"Okay." Byuakuya led Isshin towards the kitchen, leaving me with everyone's attention. I walked over to Ichigo and nudged him. "Why do you look so pissed?"

"Hm? I look pissed?" Kon laughed at his response and spoke up.

"That's his bored face, Rukia. He glares when he's bored or distracted."

"I do not." Karin laughed, smiling up at her brother.

"Yes you do, your face is like that fifty percent of the time you spend at home." Ichigo shook his head and shoved his hands in his pockets. I smiled down at his sister and grabbed his wrist lightly. He gladly took my hand, sliding his fingers between mine. Yuzu kicked off her sandals and leaned back against Kon, grabbing his arm absently.

"Don't make fun of Ichigo, I think he's just sad. That's why he makes that face all the time." Ichigo looked down at his sister puzzled.

"Why would I be sad Yuzu?" She shrugged and gave no further explanation. There was a lull in the conversation so I felt the need to jump in.

"Don't worry, Yuzu, once you get back from your vacation he'll be happy to be home."

"Why do you say that?"

"I'll make his stay here horrible so he'll be dying to go home." She smiled and shook her head.

"Don't do that, Ichigo should enjoy his time away from Daddy." Ichigo laughed and leaned back against the wall.

"Believe me, I will." As Ichigo finished speaking, Byuakuya led Isshin back into the living room.

"Are you two ready to go?" Isshin asked his daughters who nodded and hugged Kon goodbye simultaneously. He returned the gesture and kissed the top of their heads before they stood from the couch. They both approached Ichigo and did the same. He hugged them back without letting go of my hand and told them to have fun. Without waiting on their father, they headed out the door after telling everyone goodbye. Isshin smiled over at Byu. "Thanks again, I really appreciate it." He turned to Kon and patted his shoulder. "Bye boys, have fun and behave." Kon nodded and said goodbye as Isshin let himself out of the house. I turned to my brother and smiled at him.

"You talked about us didn't you?" Byuakuya laughed, pushing his hair behind his shoulder absently.

"What else would we talk about?" I shrugged.

"The stock market?"

"Are you kidding me?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Why are you answering all my questions with questions?"

"Stop talking, Rukia." Kon laughed at our interaction and stretched his legs onto the coffee table. I let go of Ichigo's hand and approached the couch, sitting on the opposite end as Kon. Byuakuya rested his hand and weight against the rail of the staircase. "You're friends are going to be here for a whole week, you better start entertaining them." He smiled down at me and dismissed himself to his office. I glanced at both Kon and Ichigo before resting my feet on the coffee table next to Kon's.

"I'm not entertaining you guys all week, you 'live' here now so you can take care of yourselves." Kon smiled down at me, resting his arm around my shoulders lightly.

"Okay, we'll make ourselves comfortable. Where are we sleeping?"

"There's a guest room down the hall and there's one that's open upstairs. You guys can choose who stays where." He nodded, looking up at Ichigo for an answer.

"I don't care, you choose."

"Well I can't decide if I don't know what the rooms are like." I laughed at his logic and nudged him.

"Then get up and go look for yourself." Kon stood and headed down the hall, stopping after taking a few steps.

"Which door?"

"The second one on the right." I heard him push the door open and flip the light switch.

"The light isn't working." His voice was a little louder, carrying through the house easily. I sighed and pushed myself off the couch before advancing towards the guest room. After walking around Kon I moved towards the right switch and flipped it, illuminating the room. "Oh okay." He moved towards the bed and laid down, holding his hand out to me. I sat on the edge and patted his arm.

"Comfortable?" He nodded, kicking his shoes off causing them to topple to the hard wood floor.

"Yeah, I don't wanna look upstairs. Ichigo can have that one." I laughed and nodded as I leaned back against his legs.

"You sure? You'll be the only one down here."

"That's okay, I don't mind."

"Alright, it's all yours." He smiled and thanked me, pushing himself off the bed as he spoke. I followed him as he went to retrieve his belongings. "Kon chose this one, so you'll be upstairs." I directed Ichigo, gesturing for him to get his stuff and put it away. "It's the room on the left of Kisa's." Ichigo smiled at Kon as he picked up his bag.

"Damn, Kon, you screwed yourself over. You could've been right next to Kisa." He raised his eyebrows and I smacked him.

"Shut up, Ichigo. Don't put dumb ideas in his head, you're going to get him into trouble with Byuakuya." Kon laughed and glanced at Kisa quickly before turning back to Ichigo and I.

"I can get myself into trouble thank you very much." I gave him a stern look, placing my hands on my hips.

"You better not, Byu might kick you out of the house." He grabbed his stuff and threw it in his new room and quickly rejoined us in the living room. He sat on the arm of the recliner and leaned back, making the chair rock slightly.

"No, I'll be good." I smiled, leaning back against the railing. I opened my mouth to respond but stopped at the sound of knocking. Without thinking about it I headed for the door and pulled it open, surprised to see Kana Hisagi and her son standing on our doorstep. I blinked and greeted them quietly, caught off guard. Kana smiled down at me sympathetically as she shoved her keys in her purse. Hisagi stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared off absently, looking upset.

"Hello Rukia, I know this is probably a little strange but I have to ask you for a favor."

"Okay..."

"Please take him off our hands for a few hours. He told me that Kon and Ichigo were supposed to be over-" I nodded cutting her off. "They're here? Good. I'm sorry to ask but can he please stay here for a few hours? I'll come pick him up before dinner or whenever convenient."

"Oh, of course. He can stay as long as he wants." She laughed and patted her son's arm.

"He didn't want to come at all, he's been sulking." Hisagi sighed and pulled away from his mother. "I know you guys are probably pretty mad at him but I promise he won't make any trouble."

"I'm sure he won't. He's welcome to stay for dinner, we'll try to keep him pretty distracted."

"Thank you so much, I really appreciate it." Kana nudged him, pushing him through the entrance. "Go on, Shuuhei, have fun. I'll pick you up around nine or ten, just text me." She hugged me quickly before hugging Hisagi. "Thank you again."

"Don't worry about it." She smiled and dismissed herself, heading back towards her car. I shut the door and looked up at Hisagi. "Are you okay?"

"Not really." I couldn't keep the frown off my face. I had been really mad at Hisagi but seeing him so...sad was difficult. He was usually full of energy and friendly towards everyone but he acted almost depressed. Hisagi walked around me and sat on the couch, his hands still in his pockets. I glanced over at Ichigo who was watching Shuuhei's strange behavior. Ichigo surprised me when he spoke up, asking him if he'd talked to Michiru at all. "No, she blocked my number and Mei Mei won't answer when I call the house."

"Hm. I thought she'd at least talk to you."

"Pfft, I don't blame her. I wouldn't want to talk to me either." Ichigo smiled slightly, leaning back against the wall.

"You made a mistake, Shuuhei."

"The biggest mistake of my life." I sat back on the couch, keeping my distance from Hisagi as he talked with Ichigo.

"I'll admit that it was a big mistake and you made some really stupid choices but it's not the end of the world." Hisagi sighed, leaning forward and resting his head in his hands.

"I just want to talk to her. God, I feel like such a dick." He shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair. "No, I am a dick." I reached over and patted his shoulder but stayed silent. I wouldn't have known what to say to him whether he wanted me to speak or not. He kept his head down and sighed loudly. Under his eyes were dark circles indicating lack of sleep. The room was silent for a moment as Ichgio continued to examine his friend.

"Are you wearing your school pants?" A slightly amused expression found it's way to his face. "Why are you in your uniform?" Hisagi looked down at his gray slacks and shrugged.

"I dunno, shut up." He took Ichigo's banter lightly and smiled slightly as he leaned back against the couch and stretched his legs out. Kon laughed at them, his attention now on Shuuhei's uniformed pants.

"Do you even know what day it is, Sagi?"

"...Yes, it's Wednesday..." He sounded unsure but luckily guessed correctly. As they continued to joke around with Hisagi, lightening the mood, the phone started going off. We rarely got phone calls to the house and I hesitantly picked up the ringing object.

"Hello?" The guys were still talking, not paying me any attention as a familiar deep voice answered.

"Hey Rukia, I'm on my way over, I'm so fucking bored. I just wanted to call and give you a heads up." I could hear Renji's truck in the background and glanced at Hisagi, mild panic rose up in me. "I couldn't get in touch with _anyone. _Do you know where everyone is? I mean I know 'Chiru's gone and Tatsuki had a doctors appointment today but everyone else is like off the map."

"Uh...yeah, Ichigo and Kon are here. I'm not sure about Kiba, where's Mina?" I tried to keep my voice under control as I spoke.

"Eh, I didn't feel like going over to her house. I just saw her yesterday and her dad's home." I let out a quiet laugh and sat on the arm of the couch next to Hisagi. I was getting distracted from my earlier concern.

"You could've invited her to do something."

"I could've but I didn't." I rolled my eyes.

"So you'd rather spend your time at my house?"

"Yeah, I like hanging out at your place. Your brother is so laid back and I get to see Kisa." I could detect the smile in his voice and couldn't help laugh. I glanced over at Kisa who was tiredly leaning against Kon.

"She's like your second girlfriend, huh?"

"She can be my first if she wants."

"That's not nice, what about your actually girlfriend?" He flipped his turn signal on, I could hear the constant click of it before he answered.

"Mina and I aren't together."

"What? You just said you saw her yesterday."

"Yeah, we hung out with my parents but-" I spoke up, cutting him off.

"What did you guys fight about now?"

"No, it wasn't because of a fight. We talked and she said we should try being friends so that's what we're doing." My eyebrows turned down and I glanced out the window, his truck was still no where in sight.

"Oh, are you okay with that?"

"Eh." I laughed and stood, heading towards the kitchen. I sat at the table, facing the living room. "I dunno, I've been dating Mina for a long time and I care about her and all but I sort of like the idea of _dating_ someone else. Maybe Mina and I are better off as friends, I guess we're going to find out."

"Well you know that Kisa's off limits right?" Renji laughed loudly before responding.

"Yeah, of course. I would never try to take her from Kon, I'm a better friend than that."

"And you're modest too."

"Hey, I'll be honest, I'd like to have a chance at Kisa. She's cute and easy to get along with." I glanced up as Kisa came into the kitchen with a curious look on her face.

"Yeah well she's off limits so just move along."

"Yeah, yeah. I'm pulling into your neighborhood now, I'll let you go."

"Okay, but I have to warn you that Hisagi's here." The other line was silent and I could sense the tension.

"Why?" He sounded like he was speaking through his teeth.

"Calm down, Renji. His mom dropped him off because she needed him out of the house. If you want to hang out here you have to promise not to start anything." Renji sighed but didn't say anything in response. "**Renji**."

"Fine." I couldn't contain my sigh of frustration.

"Just stay calm okay?" He grunted and hung up. I rolled my eyes and clicked the end button.

"What was that about?"

"Renji's pulling into our driveway and when I finally got around to telling him that Hisagi's here he got all pissed. He hung up on me." Kisa pushed her bangs out of her face.

"Great."

"Don't worry, I'm not going to let him stay if he even acts like he's going to start a fight." She nodded as I laid a hand on her arm. Kisa smiled and pulled away to grab the phone, she sat it back on it's cradle and turned towards the door when Renji knocked loudly. Instead of waiting for someone to let him in he barged in, shutting the door behind him, and greeted Kon and Ichigo dryly. I noticed Hisagi glance up at him before looking back to Ichigo and continuing their conversation. Renji didn't give Shuuhei the time of day as he greeted Kisa and led her back into the kitchen where I sat.

"Hey Rukia." He sat next to me, leaning back in his chair.

"Hey, are you being nice?"

"As nice as I can be." I rolled my eyes and glanced up at Kisa who was resting against his chair.

"Right, ignoring him, real nice."

"He ignored me too, I don't really give a fuck." I sighed.

"Calm down, I was trying to make a joke. I'd rather you two ignore each other than beat the shit out of each other." I glanced into the living room and saw Hisagi glaring, wondering what they were now talking about. I figured he was just as pissed about Renji's presence as Renji was with his. Ichigo headed into the kitchen and sat next to our newest guest.

"Hey Renji, what are you doing here? I thought you were going to Mina's today."

"Nope, her asshole of a dad is home so I passed." Renji had calmed noticeably, talking to Ichigo like everything was fine. "So, what is that dick doing here?" I sighed and rolled my eyes but allowed Ichigo to answer.

"His mom's making him get out of the house and dropped him off without warning. It doesn't matter, he's our friend Renji and there's no reason to get pissy about it."

"I'm not friends with that piece of shit after what he did-" As Renji spoke my attention went to Hisagi as he approached the kitchen, looking very unhappy. He stormed passed Kisa, who stepped away from the table, and stood in front of me facing Renji.

"If I'm a piece of shit what the hell does that make you? You take every chance you can get to sleep with some fucking whore; you have no room to talk so shut your goddamned mouth." I pushed back away from the table, adding some much needed distance. Kon had rushed into the kitchen after hearing the shouting, though I wouldn't be surprised if Byu heard Shuuhei. I'd never heard him yell so loudly.

"I never cheated on Mina or any other girlfriend so you shut-"

"Whenever you get _pissed_ at her you'd sleep around! It doesn't matter, it's none of your business so get over it." Renji pushed himself away from the table but Ichigo grabbed his arm and tried to break it up. The two ignored him and Renji continued yelling his response.

"I don't give a shit what you have to say about me, you fucking cheated on my best friend. You're lucky I don't kick your ass." Hisagi shoved Renji back aggresively but didn't make any further actions.

"I made a mistake, I didn't know what the hell I was doing-" Renji caught himself and cut him off.

"Yeah you made your mistake at such a convenient time didn't you?" He turned to Ichigo and elbowed him, making sure he had his friend's attention. "This son of a bitch cheated on her not even a week after she gave him her virginity." Hisagi clenched his jaw and looked like he was going to jump at Renji. "That's what you were waiting for this whole time, wasn't it? Was she just some sort of challenge for you, you bastard?"

"Of course not-" Before he could finish his sentence Renji shoved him back, knocking him back and causing him to fall to the ground, hitting and taking me down with him. Renji got away from Ichigo and within the blink of an eye he was on top of Hisagi, swinging at him with both fists. I pushed myself away from them and stood. As soon as I saw blood I acted without thinking. I wrapped both arms around Renji's as he raised his fist to swing again, only stopping him momentarily. His fist made contact with Shuuhei's face so I tightened my grip on Renji, yelling for him to stop. Hisagi grabbed onto the front of Renji's shirt and pushed him away, knocking him into the fridge. I didn't have the chance to let go and was rammed into Renji's torso. I felt someone grab my upper arm and pull me away as Hisagi started getting a few punches in. Ichigo stepped around me and pushed his way between the two, putting enough distance between them to get them to stop.

"Goddamnit! Knock it off you fucking morons." He sighed and shoved Renji towards the exit. I stepped around him and pointed towards the door.

"Leave, Renji." He glared down at me but didn't make any move to leave. Impatient and angry I shoved him, barely moving him at all. "Go, now." I spoke through my teeth as he finally took a step back.

"**Fine**." Renji pushed my hands away and turned towards the door, stomping towards the exit. He slammed the door shut loudly and made his way to his truck. I turned back to Hisagi who was wiping some blood away with his sleeve.

"Are you okay, Hisagi?" He nodded as he caught his breath, leaning back against the counter. I sighed and leaned back against the fridge as Ichigo grabbed him some paper towel for Shuuhei's bleeding lip. I glanced over at Kisa who was holding onto Kon's arm for dear life and frowned to myself. I felt horrible, she was so affected by yelling and fighting. Ichigo sighed loudly, getting everyone's attention.

"This shit cannot happen every time you two see each other."

"He needs to mind his own fucking business-"

"Look, I agree. Just ignore him because this shit is already old."

The rest of the night was a lot calmer and after Kisa had relaxed we were able to forget about the encounter. I made Hisagi help me clean up the kitchen, scrubbing the floor to rid it of his blood, and picking up a few knocked over items. Once we were finished we hung out in the living room for a few hours and in the early afternoon Byuakuya came out of his office to fix dinner, happily greeting our new guest. After dinner Kana came to pick up Sagi and immediately asked about his slightly swollen lip. Shuuhei hesitated in telling her but I spoke up, telling the story with few details. She sighed angrily but I assured her that they were both equal to blame and asked her not to be too hard on him. Once they were gone I went upstairs to the sitting room to watch television and was followed by Kon and Ichigo. Kisa was in the kitchen talking with Byu as the three of us sat and watched tv silently.

The next few days were a little strange. Ichigo acted like he never knew what to do and spent most of his time following me around. He ate when I ate, went to bed when I went to bed; he acted like he was uncomfortable in the house and his constant presence got on my nerves. I tried to tell him to go do something with Kon or talk to Byuakuya but everytime I did he'd ask me to go with him. He didn't seem to notice my lack of patience and seemed content to follow me around. It took a little getting used to but after a few days he backed off and started giving me space. Once he was actually comfortable, having him around all day was more enjoyable. On the other hand, Kon appeared totally at ease in our home. He never followed Kisa around and they only spent a fraction of each day with each other. I caught him digging through the cabinets a few times and noticed that he took time out of each day to sit in Byu's office and keep my brother company. When I asked Kisa about his behavior she simply said, "Don't question it" and brushed off the topic. She was probably enjoying Kon's actions, he was very easy to live with.

Byuakuya didn't seem to mind having them over and didn't seem to have as many rules as he let on. He spent a lot of time with us, taking breaks from his paperwork to eat lunch with us or just sit around talking. He felt comfortable leaving us at home when he was needed at the office or had a meeting he had to attend. Byu usually wasn't very social but he seemed to really enjoy having guests over for so long.

The fourth night they were at our place Ichigo and I were watching a movie in my room, leaning back against my bed frame. I was getting tired and was debating whether or not to end the movie short when Ichigo pushed back the blanket and laid down.

"Don't get too comfortable." He looked up at me, his eyebrows turned down.

"Why? There's like forty minutes left."

"Because, I'm tired." Ichigo laughed and shrugged.

"And?"

"And I wanna turn the movie off."

"Rukia just go to sleep, I'll leave when it's over." I sighed and laid down next to him, pulling the blanket up to my shoulders. After a few moments of silence Ichigo turned back to me and sighed. "Do you want me to turn it off and leave?"

"No, just finish it." He have me a funny expression, looking unsure.

"Positive?"

"Yeah." He nodded and turned back to the television. I turned on my side and rested my head on his arm before closing my eyes. I grabbed his wrist absently and felt myself slipping off to sleep as Ichigo turned the volume on the tv down. I felt him press his lips to my forehead before finally succumbing to sleep.

-:-

**Ah finally another chapter! Sorry for the delay, I hope it was worth the wait! Please review! :) Oh and happy late Thanksgiving to all! **


	16. Chapter 16

**I'm being forced to start chapter 16 early so here it is. Not much to comment on so please R&R! **

-:-

I heard quiet mumbling and stirred, unsure of what the noise was coming from. When I slid my eyes open I saw black and wondered if it was still night. I pushed myself up, resting my weight on my elbows and pulled the blankets away, revealing the mornings light. I shielded my eyes and sighed. My attention went to the mumbling which was coming from the television sitting on top of my dresser. The movie menu played over and over again, showing clips from the film I fell asleep during the night before. My eyebrows turned down and I wondered why Ichigo hadn't turned it off before leaving. I continued kicking the blankets off but stopped when my foot hit something. I turned, finally noticing Ichigo lying on his back, airsnoring. His legs were holding down the blanket, trapping me in my own comforter. I laid back down and started shaking him, successfully stirring him.

"Hm?" His eyes opened momentarily but as soon as they took in the light he winced. Ichigo turned onto his stomach; he burried his face in my pillow and rammed his shoulder into me. I sighed and continued shaking him but he pushed my hands away before pulling the blanket back over himself. Eventually I gave up and laid back; I rested my head against his shoulder while trying to adjust my eyes to the sunlight.

I laid there for about twenty minutes, waiting for Ichigo to wake up. I tried motivating myself to get out of bed but could never muster up the energy. After a few more minutes of staring at the ceiling I heard footsteps coming from the hallway; the footsteps stopped in front of my door and were followed by a soft knock. The door cracked open and for a moment I thought Kisa was checking to see if I was awake. To my discomfort I was greeted by Byuakuya.

"Rukia? Are you-" He cut himself off when he noticed Ichigo sleeping next to me. "What the hell is going on?" His voice was loud, I hadn't heard him yell in a long time and I was surprised by his outburst. Ichigo jumped awake and nearly fell off the bed. I sat up, giving my brother a confused and irritated expression.

"Nothing's going on, why are you screaming?" Byuakuya acted like he didn't even hear me, his eyes locked with Ichigo's. "Byuakuya." My brother turned his attention to me momentarily.

"Shut up Rukia." And again he turned back to Ichigo. "I only gave you one rule and you managed to break it." He was pissed, it was easily detectable in his voice. Ichigo looked nervous if not scared of the consequences.

"He didn't break any rules, he fell asleep while watching a movie. You're making too big of a deal out of-" Byu held up his hand, gesturing for me to stop and spoke directly to Ichigo.

"Get up." Ichigo hesitantly stood, pushing himself off the bed. "Now go downstairs." Ichigo glanced at me, giving me a funny look before doing as he was told. Byu turned on me next. "Get up and get dressed, be downstairs in the next few minutes." Without giving me a chance to even process his commands, he slammed the door and stomped down the stairs. I sighed but did as he said. I got out of bed and pulled open my closet door. After quickly slipping on a pair of jeans and a tshirt I headed for the stairs. When I made it to the living room I found Byuakuya hovering over Ichigo with his arms folded angrily. He wasn't yelling at him, apparently he was waiting for me. Irritated with his overreaction, I sighed and waited for him to say something.

"Sit down, Rukia." I narrowed my eyes before folding my arms.

"No." Byu gave me a look like he was going to slap me; I thought he'd explode with rage. "I'm not getting lectured because Ichigo accidentally fell asleep in my room. This is stupid and pointless." 

"_No_, this is not pointless. I'm so sick of your attitude Rukia; you think you don't have to listen to me because you're eighteen but you're wrong. I told Ichigo specifically that while I was gone or after dark your room was off limits. He shouldn't have been there in the first place."

"How the hell was I supposed to know that? Neither of you told me anything about the rules so why are you pissed at me?" I heard a door creak open and turned to see Kon step out of his room curiously, a look of concern residing on his face. I turned back to my brother and waited for his answer.

"You know better than that Rukia, I shouldn't have to tell you that it's inappropriate." He was no longer yelling but his voice was still loud, displaying his disapproval. I was sick of arguing so I kept my mouth shut but held his gaze. Byu sighed, rubbing his forehead as if he had a headache. "I don't want this to happen again, do **both** of you understand?" His voice rose at the end of his sentence as he looked between Ichigo and I. Ichigo nodded; he looked guilty and slightly dazed like he was still half asleep. Byu turned to me for an answer.

"Of course I understand, I wouldn't want to set you off again." My brother gave me that super pissed look again before stomping towards his office. Once he was inside he slammed the door shut, the noise slightly echoing throughout the otherwise silent house. I rolled my eyes before pushing my hair out of my face. I turned to Kon and tried to get off the subject of the arguement; I hadn't fought with my brother like that in years and it was uncomfortable yelling in front of "guests".

"Where's Kisa? I haven't seen her all morning?" Kon shrugged, still looking concerned.

"Are you guys okay?" I smiled and nodded as he approached me. I couldn't resist the urge to wrap my arms around his waist in a friendly embrace; Kon was so sweet.

"I'm fine, just a little irritated. Thanks for asking, Kon." He returned the gesture, hugging me tightly and quickly before turning to Ichigo. I looked over at him too, seeing the strange look on his face. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just...I dunno. That was just weird." I nodded, understanding completely. My eye caught something in my peripheral and I turned to find Kisa standing at the top of the stairs. She looked really freaked out and made no move to join us in the living room.

"Kisa? Are you alright?" Instead of answering me she glanced around the living room, looking for Byuakuya. "He's in his office, did he-" She turned and headed in the direction of her room. I sighed and went up the stairs. When I reached her room she was sitting on the floor, her hands on her head. "Kisa, everything's okay." I sat next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Did Byu scare you?" She nodded hesitantly. "He was just angry because-"

"I know why he was mad." She cut in, her voice shaking slightly. "I never expected to hear him yell like that and-" She stopped, her eyes on the floor.

"And what?"

"...I thought he was going to hit you." A few stray tears slid down her face. I wrapped my arms around her and tried to reassure her.

"Kisa, Byu and I might get mad at each other but he'd never do that. He is nothing like your father; you will _never_ have to worry about Byuakuya hitting anyone, okay?" At first Kisa acted like she didn't hear me but after a moment or two of silence she nodded. Kon stepped into the room quietly, getting my attention and approached us. He kneeled on the floor in front of Kisa and pushed her disheveled hair behind her shoulder. She immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and burried her face in his shoulder. I smiled and ruffled up Kon's hair before standing and exiting the room. I slowly made my way down the stairs and found Ichigo still sitting on the couch.

"Hey, you sure you're okay?" He nodded and pushed himself off the couch. After walking around the coffee table he glanced down the hall and peered at Byu's office door.

"I think..." He shoved his hands in the pockets of his pajama bottoms before continuing. "I'm gonna go talk to Byuakuya."

"Uh...I don't think that's the best decision." Ichigo shook his head.

"He's had almost fifteen minutes to calm down, I'm going." I shrugged.

"Okay, go for it." Ichigo smiled down at me.

"Easier said then done, Ruk."

"Hey, it's your bright idea." He brushed me off and headed down the hallway. Ichigo knocked lightly on the door; I half expected Byuakuya to yell in return. I didn't hear anything but Ichigo cracked the door open and said something before sliding in and shutting the door again. My curiousity started to peak; I couldn't resist it so I headed down the hall. Once I reached Byu's office door I rested my ear against it lightly, making an effort not to make any obvious noises. I could hear the sound of Byuakuya typing on his computer while Ichigo spoke.

"I'm really sorry, Byuakuya. I shouldn't have gone into Rukia's room; the whole thing's my fault." Byu sighed, sounding drastically calmer.

"I understand that it was an accident. I trust you two I just..." The sound of typing had stopped and Byuakuya continued. "I found it disrespectful, that's why I was so angry."

"I know and...I'm sorry." There was a large gap of silence in their conversation and I thought maybe they didn't know what else to say. I was surprised to hear Ichigo continue instead of Byuakuya wrapping up the talk all together. "I just want you to know that Rukia means a lot to me and-"

"Obviously." Byu's voice was light, he sounded completely calm. Ichigo laughed quietly before continuing.

"Well she has more respect for herself than I think you realize and _I_ respect her for that."

"I know. As much as I hate to admit it, Rukia was right; I made too big a deal out of the whole thing. I'm sorry for screaming at you, I let my anger get the best of me." I heard him push his chair back. "I should go apologize to Rukia too." Byuakuya sighed. "I really appreciate your honesty, Ichigo." Without waiting to hear anything else I pushed myself off the door and quickly but quietly walked to the living room. I plopped on the couch waiting for them to find me. The office door creaked open as Byuakuya and Ichigo continued a lighter conversation. They entered the living room together, but stopped talking when they saw me. I heard Byu sigh as he approached the couch. I tried to hold back a laugh; it was funny how hard it was for him to apologize.

"Rukia, I'm sorry for yelling at you." He acted like he expected me to refuse his apology, his voice making him sound slightly nervous.

"I'm sorry too, it won't happen again." Byu blinked, appearing surprised. I smiled up at him expectantly. "Are we okay because you should really go talk to Kisa. You really scared her." His face fell; a guilty expression crossing his features.

"Did I?" I nodded, no longer smiling. He leaned over and kissed the top of my head before turning towards the stairs. I turned to Ichigo who watched as Byu dreadedly walked up the stairs. He turned to me and smiled.

"I told you it was a good idea." I rolled my eyes and waved him off.

"It was still risky, you could've earned yourself another lecture."

"No, he's too nice. I mean I was nervous he'd yell again but I didn't really expect it." My smile widened before responding.

"Did you really expect him to yell in the first place?"

"No, that's a good point." Kon came downstairs as Ichigo spoke, joining us in the living room.

"Hey Kon, is Kisa any better?" He nodded at my question before taking a seat next to me on the arm of the chair.

"Yeah, Byuakuya apologized and everything. She's just calming down now." As he spoke there was a knock on the door; he stood and pulled open the front door. " 'Chiru! Hey, how was your vacation?" Kon stepped back and allowed Michiru to come into the house. She was donning jean shorts and a fitting green tshirt. She kicked off her sandals and sat her car keys on the coffee table.

"Hi guys, it was great thanks for asking. Look, I tanned." She held up her slightly less pale arm for Kon to see. He laughed and nodded.

"You did." Michiru smiled up at him before turning towards Ichigo and I.

"How have you all been? I'm sorry for not contacting anyone but my mother wouldn't let me bring my phone."

"That's fine; where'd you go?" She sat on the arm of the couch, taking Kon's place, before answering.

"My father had business in Germany so we stayed there for about four days. After that Mei Mei and I traveled to Belgium and then France. It was amazing."

"I bet it was. Do either of you speak German or French?" She nodded, surprising me.

"I speak French and Mei Mei _knows _French, she just can't speak it well. My mother was born in France so she made me take classes and lessons for years."

"What'd you do in Germany when everyone was speaking German?" Kon asked as he leaned against the arm of the couch, resting his arm on Michiru's shoulder. She smiled up at him.

"We hoped the people we ran into spoke French; some of them did but their accents made it hard to understand." She stood, slightly pushing at Kon. "Speaking of France, I got everyone souvenirs. They're in the car; I'll be right back." She gestured for Kon to follow her and headed out the door without her shoes. Ichigo sat on the couch next to me and absently stretched his legs over the coffee table. We stayed silent as we waited. They returned with a large black trashbag within a minute or two. Michiru sat on the ground and started digging through it carefully.

"Holy shit, how much junk did you buy?" Ichigo looked at the bag with a cautious expression. "You shouldn't have blown so much money on us, 'Chiru."

"I didn't 'blow' any money so be quiet." She smiled up at him quickly before turning back to the bag of items. She pulled out a handful of wadded up clothing and placed them in a pile. She then dug through the small pile before tossing a pair of jeans at Kon and then Ichigo.

"Out of all the possible gifts from France you get us _pants_? We can buy jeans anywhere." Ichigo commented jokingly but I didn't find it very funny.

"Shut up, Ichigo, act a little gracious why don't you?" Ichigo laughed, looking down at Michiru who was smiling.

"He's just picking on my, it's okay." She pulled out a small gift basket and sat it on the coffee table. "That's for you Rukia. Katsurou told Mei Mei that you liked chocolate so she bought you a Godiva gift basket."

"Oh my god, I **love** Godiva. Tell her I said thanks."

"Of course." She smiled and continued looking through the large bag. "Did you know that Katsurou was with us?"

"No, he went of vacation with your family?" She shook her head, her eyes never leaving the mound of gifts in front of her.

"No, he flew out to France after work one day and met us for dinner. The next day he took Mei Mei and I out shopping. He helped us pick out your gifts." I nodded.

"Do you like him?"

"Yes, he is so nice. He reminds me a lot of Byuakuya too so I didn't feel awkward around him. I felt like I already knew him. He must be a really fun uncle." I smiled and nodded.

"He is, I love him." She looked up from the bag and pointed her finger at me.

"That reminds me; he sent you a message. It's pretty cute." She pulled out an envelope of pictures and started looking through them.

"Get on with the gifts." Ichigo stated impatiently. I looked up at him.

"Shut up and go try on your pants."

"No, you're holding us up Kuchiki." I grabbed the jeans and threw them on the floor by the hallway.

"Go try them on and then you won't have worry about waiting. We'll be done by the time you're done. You too Kon, go try them on." They sighed and stood complaining to each other while heading down the hall way. Kon went to his room and Ichigo went into the bathroom. I turned back to Michiru as she handed me a picture. In the photo stood Katsurou and Mei Mei; they held up a sign in French. The only word I recognized was my name. My eyebrows turned down. "What does it say?" She leaned forward and read the sign.

"It says 'Rukia, can we name your niece after you?'" My eyes widened.

"They're gonna have a baby?" She nodded, smiling happily.

"It's not the best circumstances but I can't help being excited."

"Have they told Byu?"

"No, I have a picture for him too." I smiled.

"Ah."

"Where is he anyway? And where's Kisa? They have gifts too-" She was cut off by footsteps coming down the stairs. "Ah, there they are." Her smile widened as Kisa and Byu entered the living room. "Hi you two!" Byuakuya smiled down at her.

"Hello Michiru, how was your trip?"

"It was great, thanks for asking! I have gifts for you two."

"You shouldn't have-"

"I wanted too. Besides, Mei Mei pitched in and picked out yours." Michiru pulled out a black leather briefcase and held it out to Byu. "Mei Mei said you were a lawyer; when she saw it she said she had to get it for you." Byuakuya hesitated to take it. He sighed and took it from Michiru.

"Thank you." Michiru patted his hand.

"That's not all." She pulled out a picture from the envelope and handed it to him. He examined it, a confused expression falling over his face.

"What does it say?" Michiru stood and leaned over to read what I guessed was a photographed sign.

"It says 'Byu, will you be the godfather?'"

"...Of what?" Michiru laughed, covering her mouth. As Byuakuya continued to examine the photo Ichigo and Kon reentered the room, Ichigo tossing his new jeans on the coffee table and sitting back on the couch.

"Byu, they're having a baby." He looked over at me, his eyes slightly wide.

"Really?"

"Yup, isn't that great?"

"Yeah, it is. I didn't know he went with you guys." Michiru patted Byu's arm before sitting back next to the black garbage bag.

"He flew out to France to shop with us and stayed the last few days." She finished distributing the souvenirs, emptying half her bag. "I hope you guys like your stuff, we tried to get personal souvenirs."

"We really appreciate it, thanks Michiru."

"You're welcome." She tied the end of the bag and slid it out of her way. "I also came over to invite all of you to my house tonight. I thought since it's so hot out we could go swimming or something and just hang out." I looked to Byuakuya who gave me a funny look.

"I don't care if you guys want to go, it's fine with me." He smiled, leaning back against the staircase railing. Michiru glanced up at him before turning back to us.

"If you guys don't want to you don't have to, I was just asking."

"Are you kidding? We missed you 'Chiru, of course we wanna hang out." Kon ruffled up her hair, earning an annoyed sigh.

"Great." She pushed his hand away, trying to hold back a smile. Michiru rested her hand on Kon's shoulder, using it to push herself off the ground. "I'm going to head home and get ready then. You guys can come over whenever you want. Kon will you help me take the rest of the stuff back?" He stood and grabbed the bag for her before heading out the door. Michiru slid her sandals on and grabbed her keys. "Thanks for having me over, I'll see you guys later. Bye Byu!" She waved and headed out the door.

Once she was gone Byuakuya headed for the kitchen and started making lunch. He said something about "being off-task today" to himself, sounding a little frustrated. While Byu cooked Kisa and I headed upstairs to pack some clothes for Michiru's. Kisa was quiet while she shoved some sweats and other clothes into her overnight bag.

"Are you okay, Kisa?" She stopped packing and looked up at me.

"Yeah."

"...are you sure? You're really quiet; you're not still scared are you?" Kisa shook her head, her eyes now downward.

"No, sorry. The yelling just made me...nervous I guess." I patted her back.

"It's okay, you don't have to be sorry." I wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick hug. "I love you, Kisa." She smiled at me and jokingly pulled away, trying to act annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah." I laughed at her response while absently grabbing my hair brush and tossing it in my bag. "I love you too." I glanced up at the door as Kon came in, smiling down at us.

"Lunch is done." Kisa turned to look up at him.

"Okay." There was a silence as Kon looked at us expectantly.

"Get up, it's time for lunch." I laughed, cocking an eyebrow.

"We'll be down in a few minutes, we're packing." He shook his head and kneeled down low enough to scoop up Kisa. Kon pulled her over his shoulder and grabbed my upper arm with his free hand. He yanked me up and pushed me towards the door.

"Come on, lunch is ready."

"Kon put me down!" Kisa tightly held two handfuls of the back of Kon's tshirt, looking nervous.

"Not until we reach the kitchen." I sighed and headed down the stairs once I realized he wasn't going to let us finish. He followed me down the stairs and into the kitchen.

After lunch Kisa and I finished getting ready and the four of us threw our stuff in the trunk of my car. I gave Ichigo the keys before saying goodbye to Byuakuya. He seemed a little distant with his goodbyes and I wonder if he was upset that we were leaving him all alone for the night. I pushed the thought away, trying not to feel guilty about leaving, and headed out the door.

We reached the house quickly, Ichigo knew his way to the Ogawa's home a lot better than I did. When he parked there were two other familiar cars already sitting outside. Renji and Kiba were already inside. I realized that Hisagi wouldn't be coming to this group event and was surprised at how strange it seemed. Kon pushed his door open first as Ichigo popped the trunk. Kisa and I slid out and headed for the back. Kon handed us our bags and grabbed his own before slipping his hand into Kisa's and leading her toward the door. Ichigo grabbed his belongings and shut the trunk. He looked down at me, a confused expression on his face.

"Are you okay? You've been pretty quiet since lunch."

"I dunno, I'm just worried about Byuakuya. He seemed really...off today. Did you notice?"

"Aside from the yelling he seemed fine to me."

"Hm..." I headed for the house, Ichigo falling into step with me quickly.

"I'm sure he's fine. He hasn't been alone for a while, maybe he just didn't look forward to having the house to himself." I shrugged in response; Ichigo didn't seem to notice Byu's strange attitude at all. "Don't worry about it, you'll let it ruin your night." I smiled up at him as he reached for the door handle, pulling it open and holding it for me.

"Fine." I went inside, Ichigo following closely, and headed for the sitting room we normally met in. I heard Kon talking and was surprised to find Katsurou sitting on one of the couches. He smiled up at me as soon as I walked in.

"Hello, Rukia, Ichigo." My grin widened as I approached him, sitting on the couch next to him.

"Hey, what are you doing here?"

"I came to pick up Mei Mei for lunch." I nodded, remembering his little message.

"Oh, by the way, congratulations. You can definitely name your baby after me." He lit up, seeming excited at the mention of Mei Mei's pregnancy.

"Great, I've always loved your name. It'll probably be the baby's middle name though, I can only have one Rukia Kuchiki in my life."

"So does this mean you're going to speed up the wedding? How long have you guys known?"

"We've know for a while; her doctor told her like two months after I proposed. Mei Mei wants to speed it up and get married before she 'gets fat' but I don't think she needs to rush. She should plan it the way she wants, she's only getting married once." I laughed and nodded.

"Good point." Mei Mei entered the room as I spoke. She greeted Ichigo, Kon, and Kisa before approaching me. She leaned over and hugged me tightly.

"Hi, Rukia." I returned the gesture. Once she pulled away I thanked her for the gift basket. "Oh, I'm glad you like it, I wasn't sure it was a very good gift choice."

"Believe me, that chocolate will not last. It's the perfect gift for me." Her smile widened. Katsurou stood and stepped around me, asking Mei Mei where she wanted to have lunch. I got an idea, my brother coming to mind. "Hey, you guys should go eat lunch with Byuakuya. He seemed really weird when we left, maybe you can figure out what's bothering him." Mei Mei glanced at my uncle.

"That sounds like a good idea." Katsurou laughed and nodded at her concern for Byu.

"Okay, as long as you think he'll accept company."

"Of course he will, I think he's lonely and he just made lunch so there's food for you guys." Katsurou nodded, resting his hand on Mei Mei's back.

"Okay, we'll head over there. Bye guys, have fun." He led her towards the exit. As the front door closed Renji led Kiba into the sitting room. They were followed by Michiru who smiled happily at us as if she hadn't just seen us an hour before.

"Hi guys!" Kon smiled and greeted collectively. Renji greeted us in return after sitting on the opposite couch as Ichigo and I. Michiru took a seat next to him, pulling her legs into Indian style. "Where's Tatsuki?" Kon's question was directed to Kiba.

"She's on her way, her parents took her shopping for baby furniture or something. They're dropping her off." The room was silent as everyone stared at him. After a few moments Ichigo spoke up.

"So...you guys are _keeping_ the baby?" Kiba rubbed the back of his neck looking anxious and reminding me of Hisagi when he was freaking out over his one year anniversary.

"Her parents aren't really giving her another option. Tat and I don't see it as a very ideal decision but her dad told her if she chooses any other option she won't be welcome there anymore."

"Wow, poor Tatsuki." Kon pushed his hair out of his eyes as he spoke, revealing his concern for the troubled couple. Moments after Kon's comment the door was pushed shut and we could hear the sound of slow muffled shuffling of feet as Tatsuki made her way into the room. She was wearing lengthy basketball shorts with a light blue tank top. My attention immediately went to her stomach and took in the slight bump showing. Kon smiled up at her. "Hi Tatsuki!" She returned the gesture and ruffled up his hair.

"Hey Kon, hey guys." Tatsuki dropped her bag on the ground and sat on the arm the couch. "Hey 'Chiru, have a good vacation?" Michiru grinned up at her enthusiastically as she informed her a little of all the fun she had in Europe.

"How have you been? How do you feel? You look great." Tatsuki laughed off her last comment and updated everyone about her latest doctors appointment. She seemed genuinely happy about her pregnancy for the first time and I hoped she was coping with the stress appropriately. They continued the conversation and eventually Michiru asked them about names. Tatsuki looked at Kiba, letting him answer.

"We really haven't put much thought into that yet, but I think we did decide on a name if it's a boy."

"Aw really, what?"

"Shou. It was my dad's name."

"What happened to your dad?" Michiru was trying to be as sensitive and blunt as possible, however Kiba didn't seem too bothered by the mention on his father.

"He died when I was twelve."

"I'm so sorry." Kiba smiled and brushed it off, moving the conversation along.

"So do you guys have any suggestions for girls names?" Kiba looked around for answers. Renji stretched his legs onto the coffee table before speaking up.

"Whatever you choose make sure it's more feminine that 'Tatsuki', you don't want her turn out all tom-boyish like her mother."

"Haha," Tatsuki laughed sarcastically, sitting down next to Kiba. Renji smiled in return as he absently wrapped his arm around Michiru's shoulders. As a lull fell over the conversation an unfamiliar man walked through the room, moving behind the furniture. The man looked to be in his mid-forties. He had dark brown hair that was well managed and donned a suit and tie. He acted as if he didn't notice any of us and only stopped when Renji greeted him.

"Hey Mr. Ogawa, how've you been?" Michiru's dad stopped, looking a little surprised before turning to Renji. A pleasant smile came over his face as he returned the greeting.

"Hello Renji, I'm pretty good, thank you." His eyes went to Michiru. "Your mother knows that your friends were supposed to come over today, right?"

"Of course, I asked her about it a few days ago and reminded her last night." She smiled up at her father happily before introducing him to the few of us who had never met him before. Mr. Ogawa seemed way friendlier than his wife had when I first met her. Despite his more polite manner, he was just as busy as his wife seemed to be and dismissed himself after only a few minutes. Once her father was gone Michiru suggested we go out back and enjoy the nice weather. Renji took that as swimming and told everyone to change. Instead of arguing with him, everyone got up and grabbed their belongings before splitting up: girls upstairs, guys down. We met up on Michiru's deck, waiting for her to get us all towels. I was surprised when Renji actually laid down in one of the lawn chairs rather than running for the water. Michiru sat in the one closest to Renji once she had retrieved the towels and soon everyone followed, sitting in any available seat.

"Isn't Mina coming over?" Kon looked down at Renji, apparently unaware of their current relationship. Renji returned Kon's gaze and shrugged.

"I dunno, I didn't invite her." Michiru turned to Renji, eyebrows furrowed.

"Why not? I didn't invite her because I figured you would." Renji laughed, shaking his head.

"That's not my responsibility, I haven't talked to her in three days."

"Why?" Michiru's expression softened as a look of concern fell over her features.

"Because I haven't," he stated. Kiba chuckled under his breath and leaned back in his seat.

"You two broke up again? What happened this time?"

"We decided to be just friends." Everyone gave Renji looks of shock, making me think that I may have been the only one informed on their latest decision. Renji cocked an eyebrow as he glanced around the group. "What?"

"So...you guys didn't get into a huge fight?" Tatsuki asked.

"Nope, she told me she was sick of our 'endless cycle' and said we should try being friends." 'Chiru reached over and patted his arm.

"Are you okay with that?" He smiled over at her, obviously trying to end the conversation.

"Yes, I'm fine." He returned the gesture, covering her small hand with his large free one. "I'm actually pretty happy and stress-free." Michiru pulled her hand away and crossed her arms absently.

"Well, that's a little sad. Does that mean you're over Mina?" Again Renji shrugged.

"Maybe." Michiru simply frowned, resting her chin in her upraised palm. "Don't look so upset, we'll move on together." He nudged her arm, getting her attention. She smiled slightly and raised her shoulder in a lazy shrug.

"I guess." Renji pushed himself off his chair and scooped Michiru up bridal style.

"Come on guys, lets swim." He headed towards the large blue pool, ignoring Michiru's loud protests. I stood also and grabbed a towel, following Ichigo. Once we reached the pool side I laid out the towel and sat down, stretching out on the long piece of clothe. I laid on my stomach facing the water, watching as the others started stepping and/or jumping into the large pool. Ichigo sat on the grass next to me.

"Don't you want to swim?" I looked up at him without moving my head.

"No, not really." He didn't say anything, simply nodded.

"You can swim if you want." Ichigo smiled down at me before stretching out next to me.

"I will in a few minutes."

"Okay." I turned my gaze back to the pool just in time to see Renji jump off the diving board, Michiru still in his grip. She yelled until they were completely submerged in water. Ichigo laughed, his voice growing louder as he rested his head against my arm. After pulling away from Renji and dragging herself out of the water Michiru rung out her hair, now dark from the excessive moisture. She approached Ichigo and I, sitting on my other side. I pulled the towel out from under me and handed it to her. 'Chiru smiled and wrapped it around herself.

"Thanks." She peered over at Renji, monitoring his actions. Once she realized he wasn't going to force her back in the water she turned back to us. "Can you believe we only have a few more weeks of summer?"

"Really? When do we go back?" I hadn't even considered the first day of school, it felt so far away.

"Our school always returns the fourth Monday in July."

"What? Why is it so early?" Michiru smiled; apparently many "new students" asked the same question.

"We get out a lot earlier than most schools."

"So we only have...three more weeks?" She nodded. "That sucks."

"So, Ichigo, are you excited for your eighteenth birthday? There's only about a week until the big day." I turned, looking at Ichigo.

"When's your birthday?" I furrowed my brows; I knew we had talked about it before but I thought his birthday was in October. Ichigo smiled, turning his gaze from Michiru to me.

"The fifteenth," he stated before looking back to 'Chiru. "It's not a big deal."

"Yes it is! It's your last birthday being a high school student. On your next birthday you'll be getting ready for college!" Ichigo shrugged it off, resting his weight on his elbows. Michiru waved him off and mentioned something about planning a party. Ichigo obviously didn't want the attention on him so he nudged 'Chiru's leg to get her attention.

"So, have you talked to Hisagi at all?" She looked a little surprised with the new direction of our conversation but simply shook her head. "Has he been trying to get in contact with you?"

"Yeah, he texts me a lot and Mei Mei said that he's been calling the house at least once or twice a day."

"Are you ever going to talk to him?" Michiru sighed and shrugged.

"I have no idea. Honestly I don't think I can right now but maybe in the near future when I'm less angry." I glanced over Michiru to see Renji advance towards us. He turned down his eyebrows before sitting on Michiru's free side.

"You might do what in the near future?" The shifted absently, facing Ichigo and I rather than the pool.

"Talk to Hisagi." Renji's expression shifted to one of anger.

"Why would you do that?" 'Chiru sighed, sounding annoyed. I wondered if they had talked about it before.

"Because, Renji, if he and I really are over then I need more closure than this."

"What do you mean _if_? I thought you were through with him; that son of a bitch cheated on you." Michiru looked up at him with a glare rested over her brow.

"You know he would have never done it if he wasn't drunk. Gee, I wonder who's bright idea it was to steal Shenji's alcohal and get wasted." I saw Ichigo glance over at me in my peripheral vision and figrued he was getting a little uncomfortable.

"So what? Are you blaming me for what he did?" Renji no longer sounded agitated or angry; his voice now held a more patient tone.

"No, I'm just saying that you really have no reason to be so pissed off at him. He's still your friend, Renji."

"No he's not." Michiru sighed.

"Whatever." Ichigo glanced between the two before speaking again.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have brought up such a touchy subject." Michiru smiled down at him and waved him off.

"Don't worry about it, it's Renji's fault." She jokingly elbowed Renji in his ribs, earning a small smile. Her eyes turned to me, glancing down at my arms that were folded under my head. "Do you want some sunscreen? You've been laying out here for a while." I shrugged in response, unconcerned with my skin.

"I should be fine." Michiru smiled and waved me off.

"I'll go get you some." She stood, pulling her towel tightly around her torso. Renji pushed himself off the ground and followed her as she made her way towards the house. Ichigo turned on his side, facing me.

"That was a little awkward." I smiled and nodded in response.

"I know, I'm surprised Michiru said that though."

"The whole thing about Renji being the one to give Hisagi alcohal?" I nodded. "I know. I mean, honestly I was thinking it but I'd never tell him that."

"Exactly, and he didn't even get mad at her." Ichigo nodded but didn't say anything else. I took it upon myself to brush off the topic and asked Ichigo what he wanted for his birthday.

"Nothing." My face fell, earning a low chuckle. "I'm serious, don't get my anything." I opened my mouth to protest but he continued loudly, cutting me off. "Wait, I know what you can get me!"

"Really? What?"

"You can get me a date with this really cute girl I know, I think you know her." I laughed and absently picked at the grass in front of me.

"Oh really? And who would that be?"

"Her name's Rukia Kuchiki, but when you ask her make sure you're smooth about it. I don't want her thinking I'm a total goob." Ichigo smiled down at me as he brushed my hair out of my face.

"I think I can manage that." He nodded in response. "But, FYI she already thinks you're a total goob."

"Does she?"

"Yes, but I don't think it bothers her too much." He leaned closer to me until he could press his lips against mine. Ichigo pulled away, putting a little distance between us. I returned the gesture, kissing his cheek.

"I hope Rukia kisses better than you do." I smacked his arm before sitting up. As Ichigo laughed I glanced towards the house.

"Michiru's taking a long time, I'm going to go see what's taking so long." He nodded, tugging on my hand before I pushed myself off the ground and headed towards the Ogawa house. I quickly entered the sliding glass doors we always used. Michiru's name caught in the back of my throat; I froze when I heard Renji's voice and followed it. Soon I approached a door that was only partially cracked open. When I glanced in I saw Michiru and Renji digging through a plastic tub. They both sat on the pantry floor as they hunted for some sunscreen. I originally planned on finding them but there was something about the tone in their voices that made me think their conversation was private, even though they were simply talking about Kiba and Tatsuki. Michiru finally found a bottle and placed the lid on the plastic container. Renji stood and picked up the box, sitting it on it's designated shelf. Michiru turned to leave but Renji grabbed her arm and pulled her back, wrapping his arms around her small frame. She smiled and returned the gesture.

"Everything okay, Renji?"

"Yeah." He rested his hand on her hair, brushing it behind her ear. "I love you, 'Chiru." She smiled up at him, pulling away slightly.

"I love you too, Renji." She gave him another squeeze before stepping back. Before Michiru could turn to leave Renji lightly grabbed each side of her face and leaned down, pressing his mouth against hers. My eyes widened as I stood frozen in shock. Michiru seemed equally surprised but didn't move until Renji pulled away, his face only inches away from hers.

"Renji-" She spoke quietly but before I could hear her say anything else I felt someone grab my arm. I turned to see Kiba's panicked face.

"What are you doing Rukia?" I blinked, trying to think of something to say. "Never mind, where's Michiru?" I pointed to the door and without another word he barged into the room. I heard Renji cut himself off as Kiba entered the room. The door was pushed completely open now, giving me a better view.

"Hey Kiba, what's wrong?" A look of concern fell over Michiru's face.

"It's Tatsuki; she came inside about twenty minutes ago to go the bathroom and when she never came back I went to check on her. She said she's bleeding a lot, I'm really scared." His voice shook as he spoke. The rest of us realized the severity of the situation. "I should take her to the hospital right?" Michiru nodded and nudged him towards the door.

"Yes, come on I'll help you get her in the car." They rushed past me, leaving Renji and I alone. I turned to him and saw the concern in his face when our eyes met. We stood there for a few more moments in silence as a knot started forming in my stomach, feeling all too familiar.

-:-

**AH! I'm sooooo sorry! I've been swamped with school work and concerts and Christmas activities! I can't believe it's been so long and I know this chapter is half as long as most of them but I had to give you guys something! Please forgive me and review regardless! I hope you enjoyed! I will do my best to update next weekend but I can't make any promises. Hopefully it won't take as long as this one did. (SORRY! :( )**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm back! **

**I've been thinking about how little I've been able to update these last few weeks so to update more often I may start writing drastically shorter chapters. Instead of getting 10-12 thousand words, you may only get 5-8 thousand. I'm not sure yet, it really depends if I can find a good ending spot for each chapter. However, this wouldn't effect the storyline and would give readers more chapters. I'm not sure, please let me know what you think. I'm sorry for my rant. :)**

**Anyways, on with chapter 17! :D**

-:-

_Byuakuya yelled for me to grab his keys as he carried Hisana's crying form out the door. I ran for his office and grabbed his car keys before running after him, not even taking the time to slip on shoes despite the thin layer of snow on the ground outside. By the time I made it outside Byu was waiting in the drivers seat for me. He tried soothing Hisana's worries but she ignored him and continued sobbing into her hands, murmurring something about the baby. After handing Byuakuya the keys through his window I reached for the door handle of the back seat._

_"No, Rukia, please stay home. It's late-"_

_"What? No! I want to know what's going on-"_

_"Rukia! Please just do as your told, I'll call you as soon as we find out." If it weren't for the scared expression on his face I would have continued to argue. I knew Hisana was in pain and felt bad for delaying their trip to the hospital. I sighed defeatedly._

_"Fine, be careful." I glanced at my sister who was hunched over with her arms wrapped around her large midsection. Byu's window went up and he started pulling out of the driveway carefully. I realized just how cold it was and headed back inside. I decided to clean things up so Hisana wouldn't have to worry about it once she came home. She was already losing some of her mobility due to the treatment she was getting for her cancer and I doubted she wanted to come home to clean. I headed up the stairs to their bathroom where the problem had started but froze in the doorway. The light was left on, revealing the mess of blood covering the floor and toilet. There was a red-stained towel sitting in the middle of the room. The sink was tainted too, discolored spots randomly covered the porcelain surface. _

_I pushed away the urge to vomit and took a step into the room. After digging under the sink I pulled out a pair of rubber gloves that had been burried under more important bathroom essentials. As I tugged the large gloves over my hands tears started spilling out of my eyes uncontrollably; it hit me that my sister was losing her baby, June Kuchiki. There was no other explanation. _

-:-

The memory of Hisana's miscarriage hit me with remarkable force as I stared into the Ogawa's guest restsroom. Renji, Ichigo and I were checking the damage while Michiru drove Kiba and Tatsuki to the hospital. We stood staring at the mess in silence. There wasn't as much blood covering the toilet or floor here but I figured it was due to the difference in Tatsuki and Hisana's pregnancy length. It wasn't until Ichigo had grabbed onto my arm that I realized I had started crying. Renji looked down at me with concern, resting his hand lightly on my head.

"Rukia? What's wrong?" I really tried to stop the tears but it was nearly impossible after that vivid memory. Instead of answering I covered my face with my hands and turned towards Ichigo, resting my head against his bare chest. He wrapped his arms around me hesitantly. "Are you okay?" Again I couldn't answer so they both waited patiently until I was able to gain some composure. I wiped my eyes with the back of my hand and stepped back. "What's wrong?"

"I'm sorry, I just...I started thinking about Hisana and the night she lost her baby." I noticed Renji and Ichigo exchange worried looks.

"Do you think Tatsuki lost her baby?" Renji asked the question they were both thinking. I felt my eyebrows turn down before answering.

"Honestly, yeah, I do." I sighed before taking in a slightly shakey slightly steadying breath. "It's practically the exact same way Hisana was before her miscarriage." Renji's eyes turned to Ichigo.

"How do you think she's going to react to this?" I looked up at him also, waiting for his answer.

"I dunno, I mean a few weeks ago she would probably be a little relieved but after seeing her this last week or so I'm sure she's going to be pretty upset." His hand resting on my back tensed a little. "I hope she's okay." We turned at the sound of footsteps and watched as Kon and Kisa approached us.

"What's going on? Why did everyone go inside?" Kon pulled his towel tighter around himself but didn't approach us. They both stayed on the hard wood floor of the livingroom, neither stepping over to the carpeted hallway the three of us were standing on. Renji explained the situation to them in a few vague sentences, earning surprised and concerned looks from them both. He was informing them that Michiru had taken them to the hospital but stopped midsentence when he spotted Mr. Ogawa.

"Fujita." He moved around Kon and tracked him down, stopping at his side. They were too far away for us to hear what Renji was telling him but we knew he was telling him about Tatsuki. After a minute or so Renji led Mr. Ogawa towards us and showed him the bathroom. Ichigo and I stepped back as Michiru's father gawked at the evidence of Tatsuki's miscarriage. "Did you want us to clean it up?" Mr. Ogawa shook his head, his hand finding it's way to his forehead.

"No, I'll have someone take care of it. Thank you for telling me, Renji." He glanced at Ichigo before turning to look over at Kon and Kisa. "Why don't you guys go back outside? Try not to worry about it, okay?" I glanced up at Renji who nodded before turning and leading us back towards the sliding glass doors. Ichigo grabbed my hand and started following him. We all walked in silence until we reached the pool side. Kon and Renji got back in the water but leaned against the stone siding. Kisa let her legs rest in the water but Ichigo and I stayed away from the pool all together.

"So what's been going on with you guys? How's living together?" Renji offered, a small smile on his face. After a slight hesitation Kon decided to answer.

"It's pretty fun, Byuakuya's like the easiest parental figure to live with ever."

"More so than Isshin?" Kon nodded.

"Oh yeah, Isshin can be really strict when he wants to be. Byuakuya gave us like a total of three rules." Renji's eyebrows rose slightly.

"Really? I thought he'd be really strict because he seems so protective over Rukia."

"Are you kidding? He's more protective over Kisa." Renji laughed at my words, resting his chin in his hand.

"Still, I figured he'd be super strict about the whole thing." I shrugged; I didn't have any logical reason for Byu's laid-back behavior. Ichigo leaned back before turning the conversation on Renji.

"So what's really going on with you and Mina?"

"What do you mean? I told you, we decided to be friends." He chuckled at Ichigo's unsure expression. "I'm being serious; all we ever did was fight so now we're just friends."

"That's hard to believe. You two have been dating on and off for like two and a half years." Renji nodded while absently pushing some of his long hair out of his face.

"I know."

"So you're really over her?" Kon piped in, resting his head against Kisa's leg.

"Yeah, I really think I am. Well, for the most part. I wouldn't want to see her with some other guy but I think I've accepted the fact that we're never gonna work out." He sat up and reached for Kisa's hand, tugging on it teasingly. "But if you're interested Kon, Mina's single. I can take Kisa off your hands." Kisa pulled her hand away lightly before folding her arms.

"Um, no thanks." Renji laughed at Kon's answer before pulling himself out of the pool. He stood and stretched his arms above his head.

"I don't care what Fujita says, I wanna go inside." Renji grabbed a deserted towel and wrapped it around his shoulders casually. "You guys want something to drink?" Kon dragged himself out of the pool and helped Kisa up.

"Sure, I guess we should find something to do to keep us busy." I pushed myself off the ground and turned to Ichigo who grabbed my wrist, pulling himself up. His hand slid down to mine while we followed Renji back to the house. Once we reached the kitchen I told the guys that I was going to head upstairs to change. Kisa silently followed me toward the staircase. I heard a familiar voice at the door and peaked around the stairs to see Mr. Ogawa talking to Hisagi who stood in the doorway. He caught my gaze and smiled before waving. I decided to go talk to him and stopped when I reached Mr. Ogawa's side.

"Hey Hisagi, how have you been?" He shrugged lazily.

"I've been better." He looked over my shoulder before continuing. " Hi Kisa." She greeted him quietly, standing behind me.

"Look, I have some work to get to, if I let you come in will you please promise me that you won't cause any trouble?" Hisagi nodded, waiting silently to be allowed in. Mr. Ogawa sighed and stepped aside. "But, if Michiru comes home and doesn't want to see you, you better leave."

"I will, I promise. I probably won't stay but a few minutes, assuming that Renji's here." Fujita nodded and patted Hisagi's shoulder.

"Take care, Shuuhei."

"You too." Mr. Ogawa dismissed himself, leaving Hisagi with Kisa and I. "So what are you guys doing here if Michiru's gone?"

"Michiru had to take Kiba and Tatsuki to the hospital."

"Why?" His eyebrows turned down.

"Tatsuki started bleeding and experiencing really bad stomach cramps. I really think she's having a miscarriage." Hisagi's eyes widened.

"Oh my god, that's horrible." I nodded, folding my arms absently.

"So did you come over to talk to Michiru?" He ran his hand through his hair before speaking.

"Yeah, I was hoping she'd be willing to talk to me. Has she said anything to you guys about me?"

"Not really, she doesn't really talk about you unless we ask her."

"Hm." I smiled before patting his arm.

"I bet you're really missing her."

"Like crazy, this is the longest I've ever gone without talking to her since I met her." He sighed and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Should I even waste my time going to see the rest of them?"

"What? Don't let Renji stop you from seeing your friends, Hisagi. Just tell him that Fujita let you in and ignore anything else he might say to you." He looked hesitant but nodded. "We're going to get dressed, we'll meet you in the kitchen okay?"

"Okay." I patted his arm again before turning and leading Kisa upstairs. We quickly made it to Michiru's room and changed back into our original outfits silently. Once I was finished Kisa led the way back down the stairs and we quickly headed back to the kitchen where we found Hisagi sitting at the counter between Kon and Ichigo. I glanced up at Renji and immediately noticed his angry expression. He sat off to the side, resting his elbows on the countertop while he stewed. I stopped when I reached the side of Ichigo's elevated chair, resting my arm on the marble surface. Kisa walked around Renji and took the only other free chair.

"So what have you been up to? We haven't heard from you in a while." Kon turned in his chair as he questioned Hisagi.

"Not much, really; I've been home a lot."

"Hm." Kon ran a hand through his hair. "So...have you been seeing Ryo?" A defensive look fell over Hisagi's face.

"What? No, I still hate that bitch. I haven't seen her since I kicked her out of my house."

"Okay, sorry I just...didn't know what was going on with her." Ichigo nodded absently before jumping into the conversation in Kon's defense.

"He's right, we were pretty surprised when we found out she was the one you slept with." Shuuhei rested both elbows on the counter before resting his head in his hands.

"Believe me, so was I. I don't even remember leaving Renji's house that night." He sighed, scrubbing his face with his palms before sitting back in his chair. "So, how have things been going for everyone else? Everyone else is still together, right?" He smiled playfully while looking around the table of faces.

"Well, Mina and Renji broke up again but other than that," Ichigo shrugged off the rest of his sentence.

"Oh, that sucks, sorry man." Renji didn't respond to Hisagi; he simply stared at him, looking a little more calm. Before anything else could be said the conversation was cut off by the sound of my phone ringing. I pulled the device out of the pocket of my jean shorts I was donning before answering it.

"Hello?" A tired sigh answered me on the other line.

"Hey Rukia, so Tatsuki lost the baby and-" Michiru cut herself off, taking in a steadying breath. I pulled the phone closer to my ear and pressed my other hand against my forehead. Tears started to build up in my eyes as I rested my head against Ichigo's arm. "She's asleep right now but if you guys wanted to come see her before she's discharged you can. I think you should. Kiba needs someone to talk to, he won't listen to me." She let out a quiet sob before she finally allowed herself to release what I imagined had been pent up sadness. "Please come as soon as you can." With that she hung up, leaving me to tell the others. I used the back of my hand to wipe away a few escaping tears while I clicked the end call button.

"Who was it?" A frown tugged at my lips before I filled them in.

"Michiru; Tatsuki lost the baby. She wants us to go to the hospital." They all started pushing away from the counter, sliding out of their chairs. Renji and Kon were already half way out the door before I had even stepped out of the kitchen. "Wait!" They stopped and turned back. "You guys have to change, you can't go in towels and swimsuits." I doubt they even realized what they were doing but they quickly headed back towards the room containing their dry clothes. Ichigo followed them leaving Kisa and I with Hisagi.

"Kisa, you and Kon can ride with Renji okay?" She simply nodded while she nervously tugged on the ends of her hair. "Hisagi can ride with me and Ichigo." Shuuhei laughed, grinning down at me.

"Good idea." I returned the gesture, brushing it off. Soon the others returned and we all headed out the door. Kisa grabbed Kon's hand and dragged him towards Renji's truck. Hisagi followed Ichigo and I to my car. Once I realized Ichigo was driving I got in the back seat and buckled quickly. The drive to the hospital was silent and quick. Ichigo sped through every single yellow light we hit and made plenty of illegal rolling stops. After a fifteen minute ride we were pulling into the hospitals entrance. I had recieved a text from Michiru while we were pulling out of the Ogawa's neighborhood telling us Tatsuki's room number. Ichigo parked next to Renji's truck and got out anxiously, only stopping to wait for me. Once my hand found his he started towards the entrance. Hisagi was just a step behind us as we advanced towards the elevator.

We finally made it to Tatsuki's floor and as we walked towards her open door the sign caught my eye. **451A **read the green square just off to the left of the entrance. The number shocked me, leaving me frozen midstep. A vivid memory hit me as I stared at Hisana's temporary hospital room.

-:-

_I clutched my keys in my small hand as I approached the door. The room's sign read __**451A**__, the same number I had read in my earlier text from Byuakuya. He had just told me about Hisana's miscarriage twenty minutes before I pulled into the hospital's parking lot. I couldn't believe that it had happened so fast. The last time she had seen her doctor he had told her that June was healthy and developing at a normal rate. A few tears escaped my eyes as I walked into my sister's hospital room. She was tiredly staring at the ceiling; her face gave away her fatigue. An IV had been injected into her veins; the plastic clip that read her heart rate sat over the tip of her finger. Byuakuya sat over by the window; his hands covered his face and I could hear him crying quietly. Instead of approaching Hisana I went to Byu, hugging him tightly._

-:-

"Excuse me, miss? Are you okay?" A nurse had a light hold of my arm. I blinked, still staring at the plaque outside of Tatsuki's room. When I glanced in the doorway I noticed everyone else was already greeting Michiru and Kiba.

"I'm fine, sorry." I glanced at the nurse who watched me skeptically before nodding and pulling her hand away. When I turned back towards the room I met Ichigo's confused gaze. After taking a deep breath I ignored the dampering memory and forced myself to enter the room. I stopped once I reached Ichigo's side and reached for his hand, squeezing it tightly. The sound of Kiba's cries blended together with the cries running through my head: Byu's. Tatsuki was still sleeping, her pale face looked calm but slightly ill.

_Hisana was here! _my mind shouted at me but I pushed away overwhelming memories, tightening my grip on Ichigo. I turned away from Tatsuki towards the window only to see Kon with a hand resting on Kiba's back. He was trying to comfort him, they all were, but he continued to sob into his hands. Renji kneeled down in front of him and talked in a low voice. I didn't pay much attention to what was being said. Ichigo walked around the bed, pulling me with him, until we were standing in front of Kon. He laid a hand on Kiba's shoulder. I followed his lead and rested my free palm on Kiba's head. Michiru, who sat on Kiba's other side, grabbed onto his arm. We all grew silent, letting him cry in peace.

-:-

Four hours later and Tatsuki was still asleep; the doctor had informed us that between the medicine and the actual miscarriage she was probably exhausted, reassuring us that it was normal. Kiba had cried for almost a half an hour, only stopping after his mother showed up and talked with him in private. The rest of us were sprawled out throughout the room, some of us were sitting in the few hospital chairs available but most of us situated on the floor. Ichigo and Renji had left the hospital together on a food run. I sat on the floor with Kon and Kisa, Kon sitting between us. The room was silent for the most part. No one knew what to say. Michiru broke the twenty minute long silence when she started crying into her hands for the third time. Hisagi sat with her by the window, wrapping an arm around her. She didn't pull away or say anything, just continued crying. After hesitating Hisagi rested his head against her shoulder and started talking to her quietly.

I sighed to myself; I couldn't take all this crying. Between the tears and the memories, I found myself crying on and off throughout the entire visit. Trying to block out the sounds, I rested my head against Kon's arm and covered my ears with my hands. Kon wrapped his free arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer. I felt him kiss the top of my head before turning to Kisa. I wrapped my arms around his waist and closed my eyes. The drone of silence mixed with Michiru's sporadic cries started fading until I thought I was asleep. Kon's chest rose and fell rhythmically, making it easier to settle into unconcousness.

"Get the fuck away from her!" I jumped awake, sitting up and looking around the room. Renji and Ichigo had gotten back with a few plastic bags in each of their hands. Renji was the one who yelled, directing his words to Hisagi who was still resting his weight against Michiru. He glared back at Renji.

"Fuck you, Renji! I'm-"

"Shut up! Both of you, stop!" Michiru sat up, a deep glare of her face. "There are more important things going on, this is not about either of you so stop it!"

"Michiru-" Renji tried to interject but she cut him off.

"Shut up, Renji." She pulled away from Hisagi, shoving him. "Both of you stay away from me." She folded her arms.

"What the hell, 'Chiru? I was just-" Renji sat the bags in his hand down, clenching his fist tightly.

"Just leave me alone." She covered her face again as tears started to spill out of her eyes; she obviously didn't handle death very well. Ichigo glanced down at me before walking across the room to sit next to her. He rested his hand on her shoulder but she pulled away. "Stop!" Once she looked up at Ichigo she apologized and hugged onto him tightly, sobbing into his chest. Hisagi was standing at the end of Tatsuki's bed, glaring at Renji who looked like he would tackle Shuuhei to the ground if he said one word.

"Hisagi, come here." I held my hand out to him, getting his attention. He met my eyes but turned back to Renji, giving him one more look before sitting on the ground next to me. I grabbed his arm lightly, pulling away from Kon to rest my head against him. He sighed, looking less angry and leaned back against the wall. Kiba's mother stood from the hospital chair, making sure that a now sleeping Kiba didn't stir, before offering to help Renji distribute the food.

They both brought some of Ren's vegetable soup around to everyone; apparently they went to Renji's house for food, bringing plently of disposible dishes also. After we ate we continued to sit in silence until Tatsuki finally woke up. She was a little disoriented and in little pain. She didn't cry or show a lot of sadness; her face was neutral for the most part. Mrs. Suzuki woke up her son who immediately went to Tatsuki's bedside. She told him she was fine and wanted to leave so the rest of us started saying our goodbyes to Tatsuki while Kiba left to get the doctor. Everyone hugged her and Kiba's mother before gathering our things and splitting up. Kisa was still sleeping on the floor of the hospital room so I headed her way and started to shake her shoulder. Kon stopped me, claiming that he'd get her and picked her up off the ground and pulling her to his shoulder. She stirred, burrying her face in his shoulder before going back to sleep. I smiled at them and rested my hand on the crook of Kon's elbow, waiting for Ichigo who was still talking with Tatsuki. Hisagi stood around, not sure where to go. He looked down at me and rubbed his eyes before speaking.

"Can I ride with you guys?" I opened my mouth to answer but was cut off.

"You can ride with me, Shuuhei." Michiru folded her arms absently, her face neutral. "I don't want to ride alone." Hisagi blinked, looking surprised.

"Okay." I smiled up at Hisagi who returned the gesture before wrapping up Kon, Kisa and I in a hug. Kon laughed quietly, unable to return the hug.

"Bye guys, love you. Be careful." Michiru smiled at Kon's words and nodded, shifting her weight.

"We love you guys too, see ya." She waved before turning and hugging Renji goodbye. Once they had finished talking she gestured for Hisagi to follow her out the door. Renji said his last goodbye to Mrs. Suzuki, hugging her lightly before waving to us all and leaving. Kiba had returned by then, his phone pressed to his ear as he talked with Tatsuki's mother. Ichigo finally finished with Tat and hugged her one last time before standing and heading over towards Kon and I. He didn't say anything, looking ready to go but before I could make any movement towards the door he leaned down and wrapped his arms around my waist, squeezing me tightly. When he pulled away he turned and hugged Kon. My eyes met Kon's who cocked his eyebrow in confusion.

"You okay, man?" Ichigo simply pulled away and nodded, shoving his hands in his pockets. Kon grinned and pulled Kisa closer to his shoulder, chuckling under his breath. "I love you." Ichigo flashed him a smile, showing his pearly teeth, while holding back his own laughter.

"Love you too." He grabbed for my hand and started out the door. Our departure really lifted my mood; I always loved seeing Ichigo and Kon interact like that. However, it made me miss my sister even more. While walking in the parking lot towards my car I realized that the sun had set and the summer night's breeze was in full blast, blowing my hair into my face. I pushed it away while letting go of Ichigo's hand. I walked around the car and slid into the passenger seat, leaning back while Kon snapped Kisa in behind me. Ichigo got in and started the car, buckling quickly. Once we were all situated and pulling towards the exit I was struck by the familiar scent. I turned my head towards Ichigo as he stopped at a stop sign. He smelled of the hospital's surface cleaner, causing me to wrinkle my nose. I hated that smell. He looked over at me and furrowed his brow.

"What's wrong?" I felt something tighten in my chest as I was hit with an overwhelming desire to see Byuakuya.

"Can we please go home?" Ichigo blinked, his foot still on the brake. The car sat at the exit, making no move to leave. Ichigo looked in the rearview mirror at Kon before answering.

"Yeah, sure. Are you okay?"

"I just want to see Byu." The knot in my chest twisted tighter but I denied myself the release of crying.

"Okay, we'll go home." He turned back to the rearview mirror, checking the traffic before turning left onto the road. The ride was quick, which I was grateful for. We made it to the house in less than fifteen minutes. Ichigo parked the car beside Byu's before turning towards me. "I just realized that we left our stuff at Michiru's." I nodded.

"When I texted her telling her that we were going home she said she'd bring it over tomorrow." I turned when I heard the back door open. Kon was already standing outside the car, leaning in to unbuckle Kisa. I got out of the car and headed for the door without them. When I tried turning the door handle it stuck, causing me to sigh. I waited for Ichigo to unlock the door with Kon standing a step behind me. Once we got inside Ichigo flipped the living room light on, revealing Byu. He was already in sweats, his hair french braided and resting on his shoulder. He cocked his eyebrow before speaking.

"Hey guys, I thought you were staying at Michiru's." I lost my resolve from earlier and let myself cry again, it was only the millionth time that day, as I made my way towards Byuakuya. When I reached him I lifted myself on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around his neck. He stiffened, obviously concerned, while hugging me back, leaning down to do so. "What happened?"

"Tatsuki lost her baby today; everyone's kind of a mess." Ichigo answered, exhaling loudly giving away his fatigue. Once Byu realized I wasn't going to let go he scooped me up like he used to do when I was young. I closed my eyes and continued crying.

"Are you guys okay?"

"Yeah."

"What about Kisa?" I heard Kon laugh quietly at Byuakuya's question.

"She's been sleeping on and off since we got to the hospital. I think she was bored. I'll take her to bed." Byu nodded, stepping back and sitting down on the recliner. He pulled me closer as Kon made it up the stairs, his footsteps cutting through the silence. I heard Ichigo shuffle through the room as I finally stopped the tears. I sighed tiredly and closed my eyes, feeling more comfortable in Byu's grip than I had felt all day.

"Are you okay, Rukia?" I simply nodded. Ichigo plopped down on the couch and kicked his shoes off. We sat there in silence for a long while. I think Byu thought that I had fallen asleep because he asked Ichigo to toss him the blanket off the couch and wrapped it around me. I was sure he'd pick me up and take me to bed but he stayed put, reclining in the chair and resting his head against mine. After just a few more minutes of laying there, I heard Byuakuya's quiet airsnore. I heard Ichigo get up from his spot on the couch. He spreaded the other blanket from the couch over Byuakuya and turned off the light before heading upstairs. Within minutes I fell asleep.

-:-

The next day I woke to the sound of thunder. I sat my head up off of Byuakuya's shoulder and looked out the living room window. The sky was cloudy and grey as rain tapped against the window gently. I glanced over at the clock, which read 8:26, and stretched out my legs. Byuakuya stirred before waking. He also looked out the window before turning to me. He kissed my forehead and squeezed me tightly.

"Feeling better this morning?" I nodded, resting my head against his shoulder. "Why were you so upset yesterday, Rukia?"

"I just thought about Hisana a lot." I kept my gaze on the window. "Tatsuki was in the same room."

"What?"

"She was in room 451A. I just kept thinking about you guys and June. By the end of the day I missed you so badly." Byuakuya smiled, sitting up in the chair.

"I love you, Rukia. I don't know what I'd do without you."

"I love you, too." He patted my arm.

"Let's get up, I'll go fix something for breakfast." I nodded and stood, stretching my arms over my head. Byu pushed himself out of the chair. "Why don't you go wake everyone else up?" He headed towards the kitchen and within thirty seconds I heard pots and pans clanking together. I turned and headed for Kon's room. I knocked but didn't get an answer so I cracked the door open and peaked inside.

"Kon?" He was sprawled out on his bed laying on his back. He snored quietly; laying next to him was Kisa. She slept between the edge of the bed and Kon. Her small hands were grasping onto Kon's shirt as she rested her head on his arm. I stepped inside, closing the door behind me. I didn't want Byuakuya seeing them after his big blow-up the day before. After approaching the bed I started shaking them quietly. "You guys get up, its time for-" Kon jumped awake, seeming alarmed. "Shh, it's okay, it's just me." He blinked a few times before calming.

"Sorry, you startled me." I smiled.

"I'm sorry." He brushed it off, waking Kisa. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, staring ahead of herself blankly. "Well, Byuakuya's fixing breakfast so it'll be ready soon, okay?"

"Okay, we'll be out soon."

"Alright, just try to not let him see you, Kisa." She nodded, her face neutral. I smiled and patted her head; Kisa was not a morning person. I turned and left them alone, shutting the door quietly. I headed up the stairs and went into Ichigo's room. His shades were pulled shut making the room darker than I expected. Thunder rolled outside, louder this time. Ichigo was laying on his stomach, his comforter pulled up to his shoulders. I sat on the edge of his bed and pushed his hair off of his forehead.

"Ichigo, get up." Nothing. "Ichigo." I shook him lightly until he finally opened his eyes. He turned onto his side, looking up at me.

"Hey," he said, sounding half awake. I laughed, pulling my legs on the bed.

"Morning." Ichigo rubbed his eyes while turning until he was on his back. He finally appeared awake as he smiled up at me.

"For a minute I thought you were Kon."

"Why?" I couldn't keep the amusement off my face.

"Because he's always waking me up and when he does he always touches my face." I laughed as Ichigo grabbed my hand absently.

"Why does he touch your face?"

"Because he knows it annoys me." I blinked.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't know."

"It's fine, your way of waking me up is nothing like Kon's." I smiled, placing my free hand on top of Ichigo's.

"Well, Byu wanted me to wake you guys up for breakfast." He nodded.

"Okay, well I'm up."

"Okay." I slid one of my legs over the edge of the bed to stand but Ichigo grabbed my arm and pulled me closer to him. His hand went to the back of my neck as he pressed his mouth against mine. I closed my eyes and kissed him back, lingering longer than usual, before sitting up. Ichigo smiled up at me.

"I could get used to waking up with you here." I laughed and poked his forehead.

"Well, don't. You won't be here much longer."

Kon and Ichigo only stayed at our place for one more night before Isshin came over to "pick them up", hugging both of them tightly as soon as he saw them. He talked with Byuakuya over coffee for about twenty minutes before helping Ichigo take their stuff to Ichigo's truck. Kon stayed behind to thank Byu, hugging all three of us goodbye. It was weird seeing them leave; it felt like they were there a lot longer than a week. Isshin and Ichigo came back inside to say goodbye to everyone before heading towards their vehicles.

The next two weeks were surprisingly busy. Katsurou and Mei Mei came over every few nights for dinner. Afterwards we'd watch a movie or sit around talking. Kisa started to feel more comfortable with them though she remained quiet most of the time. I think she liked Katsurou because of his similarities to Byu. During the second week Kisa's brother called Byuakuya and planned a visit. They stayed with us the weekend before out last week of summer break. Yoshiki and Mai talked about finding a house in town for sale after Yoshiki finished his last three classes and earned his medical degree. Both mornings I woke to find Yoshiki and Byu sitting at the kitchen table having coffee and talking. I think Byuakuya missed having adults to talk to, though he'd never tell me if he did. Their visit ended quickly and I could tell that Shiki hated leaving his sister. They left promising another visit in the near future.

The day after they left Kisa and I went to Renji's place for Ichigo's birthday party. His actual birthday was still two days away but he told Michiru that his dad already made plans with him during the day and that night he and I had a date planned. When we got there Ichigo looked less than enthused about the party. He did not like all the attention and gifts he was getting. I think he was surprised by the amount of people who were there. Michiru had invited all of our parents, (of course excluding Kon and Kisa's) including Byuakuya. The only parent that wasn't there was Isshin because he had to work. The house was packed with people, making my brother antsy. He spent most of his time with Ichigo and I, acting shy and anti-social. I had forgotten how much he hated parties. Ichigo commented to Byu how uncomfortable he looked but Byuakuya just shrugged it off. He was introduced to all of the parents and I could tell they were excited to meet him. Ren and Kana hugged him when he offered them a hand shake, making him stiffen noticeably.

Ichigo, although seeming uncomfortable himself, seemed like he was used to the forced birthday parties, acting as though it was nothing new. Everyone came up to us at least once to hug him and wish him a happy birthday. The mothers cried, telling him how much they were going to miss him once he was in college, which was still a year away. Both Shenji and Kensei offered him a beer, jokingly, which Ichigo declined. Once everyone had the oppurtunity to talk with the birthday boy Michiru suggested and practically forced him to open gifts.

The party lasted for a few hours, the parents being the first to leave. I could tell Byuakuya wanted to go as well so I hugged Ichigo goodbye and told Kisa we were leaving. Byu looked grateful when we stepped outside the house a few minutes later.

Ichigo and I decided not to see each other during the next two days until I picked him up for our date. We texted pretty much all day and night until I started getting ready for our plans. Byuakuya helped me pick a nice restaurant and made the reservations for me, giving me plenty of money to pay for the meal. After dinner we were going to drive out to the cemetary to see Hisana and Masaki. Then we would drive into town for the fair where one of Ichigo and Kon's favorite bands would be performing. Ichigo kept texting me while I was getting ready but I ignored my phone until I was finished. I slipped on the dark blue summer dress I had picked out the day before. The fabric was soft and comfortable but it looked nice enough for the restaurant we were going to. After putting on my shoes, dressy sandals, I picked up my phone and texted Ichigo, telling him to get dressed and that I was heading out in about ten minutes. I headed downstairs and grabbed my jacket in case it got cold later that night. Byu and Kisa were sitting on the couch watching television. My brother smiled up at me.

"Have fun, don't forget your wallet and your flowers." I nodded, grabbing both my clutch purse and the bouquet of flowers I had ordered the day before. "Are you really going to give him those?" I laughed, pushing my hair out of my face.

"Yes, it's going to be hilarious. Besides, its not like he'll be expecting it."

"Why would he? What would a teenage boy want with flowers?" I shrugged before heading towards the couch. I leaned over and hugged Byuakuya tightly.

"Bye, I'll see you guys later."

"Bye, have fun and be careful." I nodded, straightening up.

"I will, love you guys."

"Love you too." I glanced over at Kisa who simply waved, her eyes never leaving the television and laughed before heading out the front door. I got situated in my car and headed for Ichigo's. The ride was silent, I didn't bother turning the radio on. Once I was parked behind his truck I pulled the keys out of the ignition and grabbed the flowers. I couldn't remember the name of the orange bouquet but I knew they were related to the lily. I knocked loudly once I reached the door and waited for someone to let me in. The front door was pulled open, revealing Isshin.

"Hey Rukia." He smiled happily at me before looking down at the flowers in my hand. He didn't comment, simply stepped aside and let me in. Ichigo and Kon stepped out of the kitchen, Ichigo was wearing black dress pants and a white long sleeve button down shirt. The sleeves were pushed up to his elbows.

"I hate you for making me dress up." I laughed and waved him off. I held out the bouquet towards him, turning his attention towards it for the first time. "...What?"

"Take them." His eyebrows turned down.

"Why?" Isshin and Kon laughed, watching us without making any comments.

"Because. I got them for you."

"You're kidding right?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Ichigo take them." He sighed and half hazardly grabbed the flowers before shoving them towards his dad.

"Let's go."

"You're a jerk." Ichigo laughed, nudging me towards the door.

"Bye kids, have fun." I turned, looking around Ichigo to wave to them both.

"Bye Isshin, Kon, see ya." Ichigo pulled the door shut and followed me to my car. I got behind the wheel and started the car.

"So what all are we doing tonight?" I smiled over at him, before pulling out of the driveway.

"We're going to dinner, to see your mother, and then to the fair." He nodded, leaning back in his seat.

"That doesn't sound too painful."

"Ha ha." I glanced in the rearview mirror before turning out of the neighborhood. "How was your birthday celebration with your family?"

"It was okay, a little like torture, but I made it." I rolled my eyes.

"Why are you so anti-fun?" Ichigo laughed, turning his head towards me.

"I'm not, I just don't like all this attention. It's stupid." I felt a glare fall over my face.

"It's not stupid, Ichigo, it's people showing you how much they love you." He reached over and grabbed my hand, pulling it away from the wheel.

"I'm just teasing, it was honestly really nice spending time with my family." I pulled my hand away to turn onto the main road, the glare off of my face.

"What'd they get you?" I glanced over at him to see him smile.

"My sister's got me a few books and-"

"What books?"

"Um, I don't remember which ones, I didn't get a chance to look at them but I know that they were Shakespeare." I nodded, remembering his shelf of Shakespeare plays in his room. "And Kon and Dad got me a drum set."

"A drum set?"

"Yeah."

"Why? You play?" He nodded, saying nothing more. "When we get back you can play something, prove it." Ichigo laughed, playfully punching my arm.

"You don't believe a thing I say do you?" I smiled and shrugged as we pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. I parked in the first available spot I saw and glanced around. The lot was practically full, meaning the building was probably full. I got out and waited for Ichigo before locking the car. We walked around the cars until we made it to the door. Once we were inside and checked in the host led us to our table. I pulled out Ichigo's chair and sat across the table from him. He rolled his eyes while scooting closer to the table.

"So how are you handling living without me?" My grin widened as I rested my elbows on the surface of the table.

"It is pretty hard." Ichigo laughed.

"Yeah right, you're probably loving it." I shook my head.

"Honestly, it's a little boring."

"Well only five more days and we get to go back to school where we can see each other everyday." I reached across the table at his statement, holding up my fist.

"Score." Ichigo laughed and returned the fist bump.

"You are such a loser." I rolled my eyes and waved him off.

"So have you talked to Tatsuki?" He nodded while pouring some water into each of our glasses.

"Yeah, she seems better. She's obviously still upset but Kiba told me she's off the pain medication and she hasn't complained about any discomfort for a few days."

"That's good. How did her parents react to the whole thing?" Ichigo shrugged as I took a sip of my water.

"Her mother was really considerate about it and took care of Tatsuki when she stayed home. When I was over there her dad was saying crap about how it was God's way of showing mercy on her and how she had a second chance. He told her to her face that she better not 'fuck it up'." My eyebrows turned down.

"What did she say to him?"

"She ignored him and walked away. I did the same, he pissed me off."

"God, I'm glad I don't have parents." Ichigo laughed, resting his elbows on the table.

"What if you had really great parents? Wouldn't you want a mom like Kana? Or a dad like Byuakuya?" I shook my head.

"Nope."

"You just say that because your parents were awful. I care about my dad even though he annoys the shit out of me."

"You have a great dad." He rolled his eyes. Before anything else could be said our waiter approached the table and took our orders. After handing in our menus we turned back to one another.

"What about kids? I haven't seen you with children; do you like them?" I didn't have to think about my actual answer but I paused, unsure of how Ichigo wanted me to answer.

"Eh, I haven't had much experience with kids. But I don't think they like me."

"What? Why wouldn't they like you?"

"Because I don't know how to talk to them or play with them."

"What about babies?" I shook my head again.

"I hate babies, I can't stand hearing them cry." Ichigo laughed and shook his head.

"That won't do, Kuchiki." I smiled, an eyebrow cocked.

"Oh really? Why's that?"

"If you're going to be my long term girlfriend, you have to be open to the idea of kids in the future."

"You already know that you want kids? What are you a sixteen year old girl?" His face fell.

"Ha ha." Ichigo leaned back in his chair. "I was teasing you but yes I do know that I want kids; I love kids."

"You love kids?" He nodded.

"Yeah, Kon and I started babysitting for Hibiki when we were fourteen so I've had a few years experience with them."

"Is that Hisagi's other sister?"

"Yup."

"Why would two fourteen year old boys want to babysit?"

"For the money, Hibiki's husband is loaded." I laughed and took another drink of my water.

"Ah, then you fell head over heels with the idea of having kids?"

"Kinda, yeah." I rolled my eyes.

"God, I have to get a new boyfriend." Ichigo chuckled and sat up as the waiter approached the table again, this time with our food and drinks. While the waiter was sitting the last of the plates down Ichigo followed up on my last comment.

"Well, you know Renji's single now." I wrinkled my nose at the thought.

"No thanks." Ichigo laughed as he picked up his utensils. "Speaking of Renji, have you noticed how weird he's been acting lately?"

"Weird? How so?"

"Well...mostly with Michiru."

"Oh, yeah, I noticed." My eyebrows turned down at his tone; he didn't seem to care at all.

"Have you talked to him about it?" Ichigo smiled.

"I didn't have to, I know what's going on. He thinks that he has strong feelings for her that have somehow magically morphed into more intimate feelings all because they're both single." I blinked, amazed.

"But...how do you know that he doesn't really have feelings for her?"

"Ruk, you just haven't known Renji long enough to notice his relationship cycle, and I'm not talking about the weird cycle he had going on with Mina." Ichigo took a drink before continuing. "Renji gets himself into a serious or semi-serious relationship with some girl. Then something huge will happen and they'll break up for good and that's when he has those kinds of thoughts. But instead of acting on those 'feelings' he goes out and either gets laid or finds another girl to start some sort of relationship with."

"And those thoughts have always been about Michiru?" A serious expression fell over his face as he thought about it.

"They have been since the eighth grade."

"Wow...has he talked to you guys about them ever?"

"Oh yeah. The first few times he'd tell me about it but after I told him that he was mistaking their friendship and Michiru's kind nature for something more he stopped talking about it all together."

"And he's never acted on it?" Ichigo took a bite of his food and shook his head.

"Not that I know of."

"What if I told you he did?" His eyebrows shot up.

"Did he?" I nodded. "In front of you?"

"No, I was kind of eavesdropping." Ichigo smiled.

"My little spy." I laughed and rolled my eyes. "How did Michiru react?"

"I dunno, it was the day we were at her place when Tatsuki had her miscarriage. Kiba came up behind me and went into the room before she could respond."

"Damn, talk about bad timing."

"I know." A small silence fell over us so I took the oppurtunity to take a bite of my dinner.

"Oh my god! I totally forgot to tell you." Ichigo sat his fork down, resting his hands on the sides of his plate. "Before I tell you I want you to realize that this stays between us." My eyebrows turned down in confusion as I nodded my head. "I just wouldn't want this to get to Byu; Kon would kick my ass."

"What is it?"

"Okay, so apparently while Kon and I were over at your house Kon and Kisa had sex."

"What!" Ichigo laughed and gestured for me to be quiet. "What the hell? Kisa didn't tell me anything."

"I told Kon he was a fucking idiot for pulling that shit at your house but hey, he got away with it."

"That is...insane!" Ichigo picked up his fork and resumed eating. "My brother would kill Kon." Ichigo chuckled and nodded.

"Yeah, I know." After a few moments of silence, Ichigo spoke up, asking me about our plans at the fair. The rest of our dinner was filled with pleasant conversation. Ichigo told me a lot of stuff about our friends that I didn't know. We talked some more about our past relationships and I asked Ichigo about the things he used to do when his mother was still alive. After talking and eating for about an hour or so we paid the bill and headed out towards my car. We sat in a comfortable silence until we turned onto the main road.

"How long did you want to stay at the cemetary?" I glanced over at Ichigo's words.

"Not long, just long enough to see them. I was going to divide your flowers up and put them on their graves but you wouldn't bring them."

"Oh...sorry." I laughed and brushed it off.

"It's fine, we can bring some this weekend." He nodded and grabbed my free hand. "So, when we get to the fair do you want to stay in the auditorium for the concert or do you want to listen while we walk around the fair grounds?" Ichigo was silent for a moment.

"What's the special today?"

"Um...I think it's the special on rides."

"Wristband day?" I nodded. "Yeah, we'll go on rides." I laughed.

"Okay but fair warning, I'm kinda scared of heights."

"Even more reason to go."

"You're a dick." Ichigo laughed and squeezed my hand.

"I'm kidding, if you're scared we don't have to go on rides."

"No we can, I just hope I get sick and throw up all over you."

"Okay but fair warning, I get sick at the sight of vomit." I laughed and nodded.

"Good deal." I slowed down once we started inching towards the entrance but came to a complete stop when I noticed the cemetary gates closed and locked. "What the hell?"

"Park on the side of the road and we can read the sign they put up." I did as he said and parked in the grass. After turned off the car we both slid out of the vehicle and approached the gate. "_Closed Due to Multiple Renovations_." I sighed and kicked the bottom of the gate in frustration.

"Dumbasses." Ichigo grabbed my hand.

"We can come back in a few days." I nodded in agreement. "It's starting to get cold outside."

"I know."

"Did you bring a jacket?"

"Yeah." We turned back towards the car and got in. I started the car and turned the heater on low, hoping it would warm up quickly. Once traffic was clear I got back on the road and headed towards the fair grounds. We rode in silence during the short ride; because the cemetary was so far into town, the fair was extremely close. The lot was packed so I had to park in the very back of the last available parking lot marked Lot F. Ichigo and I pulled on our jackets and got out of the car. After I locked the doors Ichigo grabbed my hand and started leading me towards the entrance.

"Do you go to the fair often?" Ichigo looked down at me as he spoke?

"I didn't go last summer but Hisana always took me whenever she could. Do you?"

"I've gone a few times before. Once with my dad and the other times Hisagi and Renji dragged me out here." I laughed.

"Aw, and now I'm dragging you out here!" Ichigo laughed.

"Exactly." He nudged me with his elbow lightly. His smile widened as we turned, following the dirt path towards the entrance booth. We still had a good distance to go. "You are something else, Rukia." I chuckled.

"Am I?"

"Yup. I'd let you drag me just about anywhere." I smiled up at him as his grip tightened on my hand.

"Oh really? Like...my uncle's wedding?"

"Sure, is this your way of asking?" I shrugged.

"I figured you already knew you were going. Besides, you'll probably get your own invitation from Mei Mei."

"So we'll be each others' 'plus one'." My smile widened.

"We will." I shoved my free hand in the pocket of my jacket. "So what do you think of my uncle? Do you think he's a good fit for Mei Mei?"

"Yeah, he seems like a really nice guy and he'll be able to financially support her. I thought you said all the Kuchiki's, other than Byu, were snobs."

"He was. When he went to college he wouldn't associate with anyone who wasn't up to his standards. His parents told him he wasn't allowed to date a girl if her family wasn't well of because they didn't want anyone going after their money. Their parents told all of them that and for a long time Katsurou thought he was better than everyone else because of it."

"When did he change?"

"His third year of college, that was the same year Byu met Hisana. Katsurou told me that one day he saw some girl sitting in the college's commons area crying. He said that he approached her and asked her what was wrong. Apparently she lost her scholarships because of some misunderstanding and she couldn't get loans so she had to drop out." I shrugged, unsure how to explain the sudden change in my uncle. "Katsurou said he felt so bad for her that the next day he had a whole bunch of money transferred to her account, enough to get her through two more years of college."

"Holy shit, I bet his parents were mad." I laughed.

"Oh yeah, aside from paying for school and other necessities they cut him off. He didn't have any money for six months."

"Was Byuakuya ever like his parents?"

"No, from what I've been told he's always been the way he is now." Ichigo smiled.

"You made your brother sound so bad when we first met; I love Byuakuya."

"Well I was pretty pissed with Byu when we first met."

"True." We finally reached the booth where I paid for our admission and our wristbands, allowing us on any ride for the rest of the night. The clerk stamped our hands with the fair's emblem. As we headed through the entrance, music started playing loudly, coming out of the randomly placed speakers.

"Is that the band?" I asked, unsure of what to listen for. Ichigo shook his head.

"No, this must be the opener." I nodded as Ichigo started leading me in a random direction. "What do you want to do first?"

"I don't care, it's up to you." He looked around before picking a ride. He claimed that we would start on the rides that "weren't too bad" before making our way to the rides with reputations. We rode a few and it was true that they didn't seem too bad. I seemed to handle even the moderate ones until we got to one called "1001 Nacht". When we finally reached the top height on that particular ride I nearly had a panic attack. Regardless I continued, following Ichigo to whatever rides he wanted to on. The last ride of his choice was called "Freakout". The line was huge and we waited over half an hour. When we finally got on I started to get pretty excited but the actual ride made me feel like I was going to pass out. Ichigo seemed to enjoy watching me on each ride and laughing when I found myself screaming. I was just glad he was having a good time, even if I was freaking out. Throughout the entire night music flowed through the speakers, giving everyone a taste of the concert going on in the auditorium. Ichigo and I were walking away from "Freakout" when he started draggin me in a particular direction.

"Come on, we'll get on the ferris wheel before we leave." I nodded, liking the idea. "It's not too high for you is it?" He was asking seriously although his tone did hold a teasing hint to it.

"Nope, I love the ferris wheel." He nodded and continued making his way through the crowd, his grip tight. The line was short and we were able to get on the next cycle. Ichigo and I crammed into one side of the little booth-like seat, sitting in silence. I leaned my head against his arm and closed my eyes, letting the night's breeze hit my face. We moved backwards but stopped shortly, allowing the next cart to be filled with people. After a few minutes of waiting in silence, everyone from the line was on the ride and the official cycle began. Ichigo leaned back, resting his head against mine.

"It feels good up here." I nodded. Our peace was interuppted when some kids in the next booth started moving back and forth, causing the rest of our seats to rock. Ichigo sighed and only put up with it for ten more seconds before yelling at them. "Knock it off you assholes!" The rocking stopped gradually and Ichigo relaxed again. The machine stopped momentarilly before moving in the opposite direction. I opened my eyes and sat up.

"Happy birthday, Ichigo." He laughed and opened his eyes, looking down at me.

"Thanks."

"Did you have a good day?"

"A great one." I smiled. "The best one yet."

"Good." I hugged his neck quickly before kissing him. When we pulled apart he kissed my forehead. I wrapped both arms around his and rested my weight against him. "I love you, Ichigo." There was a tiny moment of silence.

"I love you, too."

-:-

**Ah! I had no intention of finishing this like this or this weekend but I did it! Yay, finally! **

**Anyway please review and tell me what you think about both the chapter and what I discussed in the opening statements! **


	18. Chapter 18

**Ah I'm back! Thanks to those who reviewed! I appreciate your opinions and thank you for giving me some suggestions! I hope thise chapter doesn't disappoint anyone; here's chapter 18!**

**Oh and as WhiteMoonAndBlackSun requested there will be some action in this chapter, action I couldn't fit in the last one. I really wanted to end chapter 17 on a stronger note but didn't have the time. So I hope you enjoy the action packed parts of this chapter!**

-:-

After getting of the ferris wheel Ichigo and I made our way to the auditorium where the concert was finishing up. We watched the last few songs of the show before heading towards the merchandise tables. Ichigo tried buying a CD for Kon but I got it for him instead, knowing that they'd both get use of it. Once we finished there, Ichigo led the way to Lot F towards my car. The five minute walk was spent in comfortable silence, the ride to Ichigo's just as quiet. Half way back to his house I heard him airsnoring and smiled to myself. When we reached his place I shook him awake and led him inside. Isshin and Kon were sitting at the table when we entered the house.

"Hey guys, have fun?" Ichigo nodded as he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. I nudged him.

"I'm gonna go, you should go to bed." He nodded as I shoved my hands in the pockets of my jacket. I felt the hard case of Kon's CD against my knuckles and started approaching the table. "Oh yeah, here Kon we got this for you." I held it out to him. He blinked before taking it.

"Oh, thanks, you didn't have to though. Ichigo and I saw them in concert a few months ago." I shrugged.

"It was Ichigo's idea." He smiled and hugged me quickly.

"Well, thanks both of you."

"No problem, bye you guys." Isshin held up his hand in a wave.

"Bye, be careful getting home."

"Will do." I turned around hugged Ichigo goodnight before heading for the door.

-:-

The next day I laid around the house for a while, hanging around with Kisa for a few hours while Byu was at work. We watched a movie but soon shut off the television, bored with it. We decided to get dressed and do something outside of the house since we'd be in school the next week. After grabbing a quick bite to eat and changing into something other than our pajamas, we made our way to my car. As I backed out of the driveway Kisa texted Byuakuya letting him know that we'd be out for a while.

"He said he was asked to stay late today so he won't be home until like seven tonight."

"That sucks, poor Byu." She nodded and slid her phone into her jean pocket.

"So where did you have in mind?" I thought about it for a second, considering how much money I had in my wallet and how much gas was still in my tank.

"Well I have a little extra money from last night, do you want to go shopping? I need some jeans at the least and you need just about everything." She laughed and shook her head.

"I don't need anything."

"You have like three pairs of jeans and two dresses. The rest of your clothes are so worn, we're getting you some new clothes." She sighed but didn't argue. "I told you we'd be clothes shopping soon, just text Byu and make sure I can use this money he gave me." She nodded again before pulling out her phone again. After we got Byuakuya's approval we headed out to one of my favorite stores, a store I hadn't been to since before Hisana's coma. We spent a few hours in different stores getting Kisa some new clothes. She was hesitant to try anything on and I practically had to force her to the register at each store. After we were done shopping we decided to head over to a close-by coffee shop to grab something to drink. We went inside, ordered and sat down in an isolated booth. As we were slipping off our coats my phone started going off loudly. I hit the answer button and held it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ruk, what are you up to?" Renji's asked as I leaned back in the booth. Kisa watched me curiously so I turned my phone on speaker and turned the volume down so we'd be the only ones able to hear Renji's voice.

"Kisa and I are at a coffee shop, spent the day out of the house. What about you? By the way, you're on speaker."

"Hey Kisa." I smiled at her neutral expression.

"Hi Renji."

"Right now I'm at my friend's house but later tonight we're going to pick up Michiru and go see a movie or something." He answered, responding to my earlier question.

"What friend?"

"Ikkaku." My eyebrows turned down in confusion, my eyes going to Kisa. She shrugged.

"Oh, how do you know him?" Renji laughed.

"He goes to our school."

"Oh, I have no idea who that is." I heard someone unfamiliar say something in the background. Renji sighed.

"Hold on a second, 'kay?"

"Yeah sure." I hit the mute button on my phone and turned to Kisa as one of the barista's brought us our drinks. The guy was wearing a green work aprin that was covered in stains that were probably coffee and the available toppings. His dark messy looking hair reminded me of Kon. He was probably my age if not a year older. He smiled at us as he sat our drinks down.

"Two peppermint mochas?" Kisa nodded and grabbed her drink from him. I took my drink also, sitting it down quickly.

"Thank you."

"No problem, let me know if I can get you anything else." I nodded, turning my attention back to my phone as he gave Kisa one final glance before heading back for the counter.

"Rukia?" I unmuted my phone when I heard Renji's voice.

"Hey, everything okay?"

"Yeah, I was needed elsewhere." I smiled and glanced up at Kisa who was eyeing the counter, looking uncomfortable.

"What's wrong Kisa?" I turned towards the register and saw the barista looking our way before smiling and turning back to a customer approaching the counter.

"What's going on?" Renji asked, unaware. My smile widened as I turned back to Kisa.

"Our waiter is checking Kisa out."

"What? Am I still on speaker phone?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"Yes, why?"

"Next time he comes over tell me, I'll start screaming at him." I laughed.

"Um, no thanks neither of us want to cause a scene. Just keep your mouth shut." Renji laughed loudly.

"Okay, as long as you're sure you don't need me to interfere." Kisa looked down at the phone.

"We're positive."

"Fine, fine. So, anyways I called to ask if you guys wanted to come with us tonight. I think we did decide to see a movie." I looked at Kisa for her opinion and she simply shook her head to me before answering for herself.

"No thanks." Renji sighed.

"Come on, Kisa, it'll be fun."

"No thank you."

"Please?" Kisa laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Why do you want me to go so badly? Rukia can go." I laughed at her offer.

"Yeah, I guess I can go." She smiled at me.

"But I wanted you to be my date, Kisa."

"I don't think so." He sighed again.

"Fine, Rukia get's the honor of being my date."

"Wait, are you trying to set up this guy with Michiru or something?"

"What? No way, I'm just giving Kisa a hard time. Honestly Michiru and I just wanted to hang out with friends without having to see a million couples." I took a sip of my drink.

"Oh, okay, I don't mind coming. I haven't seen Michiru in a while, it'll be fun."

"Sweet, I'll pick you up at around eight. The movie starts at eight-twenty." I nodded absently, my eyes catching something on Kisa's coffee cup.

"Okay."

"See ya then, bye guys."

"Bye, Renji." Kisa spoke, hanging up my phone as I turned her cup in my hands. "What are you doing?"

"Oh my god! He wrote his number on your cup, Kisa!" She took the cup and turned it, reading his message. In blue sharpie he had written _You're incredibly beautiful, text me ~Osuma the coffee guy :)235-1997_ "Wow, could he be anymore straight-forward?" Kisa rolled her eyes at the message and took a drink from her cup, ignoring it all together. I smiled at her, reaching over to pat her arm. "What are you going to do if he says something to you about it?" She shrugged.

"Tell him to fuck off and throw it away." I laughed and shook my head.

"That seems a little harsh."

"I'm sick of random guys doing this kind of shit all the time." I raised my eyebrows, amused.

"Well, that's the price you pay for being 'incredibly beautiful'." Kisa laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Right." She finished her coffee, pushing the cup aside. "Besides, the message has no indication that it was meant for me. He could've written that to you but mixed up our drinks." I laughed again.

"Yeah right! Kisa in the rest of our lives I will never be the one this happens to." Her eyebrows turned down.

"Dont' say that." I rolled my eyes.

"I'm just saying, you're the one catching people's eyes. That message was meant for you." I glanced over at the guy and met his eyes again. I couldn't help laughing to myself before turning to Kisa. "Are you ready to go?" She nodded and stood. I did the same, grabbing my phone and my half full coffee. I dug in my wallet for a ten. "Do you want me to meet you in the car?"

"Sure." She smiled, looking grateful. I turned to walk towards the counter and nearly ran into our waiter. His hand went to my coffee, keeping it from spilling.

"I'm so sorry, did I get any on you?" He smiled and shook his head before stepping around me to talk to Kisa, who would've been out the door if I hadn't stopped in her way. Our eyes met and I gave her an encouraging smile. Her face was neutral but I could tell she was pissed.

"Hey, I wanted to catch you before you left. I hope I didn't come off as a cocky jerk; I just figured I'd try." He smiled, running a hand through his hair. "You didn't look very happy when you found it." Kisa pushed her hair out of her face, looking directly at the guy. I was a little scared she would yell at him or make him feel like an idiot due to her earlier anger.

"I have a boyfriend, sorry." I smiled, happy to hear her use the word for the first time. Osuma looked at her suspiciously before turning to me. I nodded.

"She does."

"Too bad, sorry for bothering you." I waved him off.

"You didn't bother us, right Kisa?" She nodded, staying silent. I laughed and rolled my eyes while handing a ten out to him. "Can I get our receipt?" He held his hands up and shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, I'll take care of it." I blinked.

"Are you sure?" He nodded, waving.

"Positive, have a nice day." I glanced at Kisa quickly.

"Thanks, you too." He smiled and headed back towards the counter. Kisa and I headed out the door, Kisa tossing the cup in the outside trash can before we got back in the car. I glanced at her as we were pulling out of the parking lot. "Wow, you get us free stuff. I'm taking you everywhere from now on." She laughed, her eyes on her phone. "Seriously, you're coming with us tonight." She shook her head.

"Nope." I chuckled as I slid into the turning lane. We made our way home, dragging the few bags we had from shopping into the house quickly. Byu still wasn't home so we decided to hang everything up, getting rid of the plastic hangers and tags you find on new clothes. Afterwards we sat in the kitchen as the microwave heated up some left-overs. We sat in silence for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet. That was another thing I loved about Kisa, she never felt the need to fill the silence between us. She seemed content sitting quietly, only speaking if something came to her that she thought was important enough to share. A knock on the door interupted us, causing Kisa to smile over at me. She stood before I did.

"Who do you think it is?"

"At the door?" I asked, earning a nod. I thought about it as she made her way to the entrance. "My guess is a delivery guy, I think Byu ordered something online the other day. What's your guess?"

"...Katsurou." I nodded.

"That's a good guess." She was about to reach for the handle but the door pushed open revealing Kon. Kisa's eyebrows turned down as he greeted her with a hug.

"What are you doing here?" He smiled, leading her back into the kitchen, leaving the door standing open.

"We got bored and decided to bring you guys something to eat." I smiled up at him.

"No way, really?" He nodded. "Sweet, all we have in the house are left-overs." Kon laughed, resting his arm around Kisa's waist absently. We turned at the sound of Ichigo shuffling through the door. He carried a cardboard box full of take-out containers.

"Goddamnit Kon, get your ass out there and get the drinks." I stood and met him half way, taking the food from him before sitting in on the table. Kon reluctantly turned and headed back out the door. Ichigo sighed, rolling his eyes. He leaned down and greeted me with a kiss. I smiled when he straightened, looking aggrivated.

"You okay?" He returned the gesture.

"Yeah, Kon's just doing everything in his power to bother me today." I chuckled, turning towards the door as Kon carried in a couple of two liters. He shut the door with his foot and approached the table, sitting the bottles down.

"Where's Byu?"

"Working, they asked him to stay late."

"That sucks." I nodded. I grabbed enough plates from the cabinet while Kon got everyone a glass. While I was up I grabbed the plastic container I had stuck in the microwave and shoved it back in the fridge after covering it. After sitting at the table and getting situated I started up a conversation.

"So you guys had nothing better to do today?" Ichigo shrugged, pile some food on his plate.

"We wanted to get out of the house before we were stuck in the clinic with my dad all night."

"Why are you guys working at night? I thought he closed the clinich at six." Ichigo nodded.

"He got way behind on paper work and asked us to help."

"Oh, that sucks." He shrugged, taking a bite of food as Kon spoke up.

"What about you guys? What are your plans for the last Thursday night of the summer?" I smiled, though a little disappointed that it was in fact the last Thursday night.

"I'm gonna go see a movie with Michiru and Renji, Kisa's staying home like a loser." Kon turned to Kisa.

"Why don't you want to go?"

"Renji's gonna be there." Kon laughed, turning back to his food.

"Really though, why don't you?" Kisa shrugged.

"I just don't want to." Ichigo looked over at her, smiling.

"You can't always be this anti-social." She smiled back, amused and shrugged again.

"Says who?" Kon spoke up before Ichigo could answer her question.

"I do." Kisa rolled her eyes, simply shrugging in response. "Come on, don't you want to get out of the house?" Before she could answer he held up his hands. "You know what, doesn't matter. Since you decided to be so lame you can come with us and help out with paper work." Kisa smiled.

"Okay." Kon turned to Ichigo.

"We should make her do it all by herself." Ichigo laughed.

"That seems a little harsh, making her spend that much time alone with my dad?"

"Seems fair to me." Kon took a bite of his food. Ichigo glanced over at me.

"I'm surprised you guys got dressed." I laughed, glancing at Kisa.

"We went out earlier." Kon's eyebrows turned down.

"Really? Where?"

"We went shopping for a few hours then stopped at a coffee shop." Our waiter came to mind as I filled them in. "Speaking of the coffee shop," Kisa sighed, before I could go on, causing me to laugh. Kon looked even more confused than before.

"What happened at the coffee shop?" His question was directed to Kisa.

"Nothing important." I smiled and finished telling them.

"Our waiter kept checking out Kisa and then we found his number on her cup." Kon's eyebrows rose, his grin never leaving his face. Ichigo laughed, glancing at Kon before speaking up.

"What'd you do Kisa?"

"Told him I had a boyfriend and left." Kon laughed.

"I can just picture your face; didn't you like the attention?" He rested his arm on the back of her chair absently.

"No, quite honestly I wanted to yell at him but Rukia wouldn't let me." I smiled when she met my eyes.

"He was really nice about it and didn't make us pay for our coffee so of course I wasn't going to let you yell at him."

"He gave you free coffee?" Ichigo asked, looking amused. I nodded, taking a bite of food.

We sat around talking for a while but once we were finished eating we split up. Kon and Kisa stayed in the kitchen but Ichigo and I headed towards the living room, sitting on the couch. Once we were comfortable I hugged onto his arm absently.

"When do you guys have to go help Isshin?" Ichigo glanced up at the clock hanging on the opposite wall.

"Probably soon, in like twenty minutes." I nodded, checking the time myself. It was almost 7:30. "When are you going to the movies?"

"Renji said they'd be here around eight."

"So we had pretty good timing." I smiled and nodded, leaning my head against his arm. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and sent Byu a text letting him know about our plans for the evening, even though he was scheduled to be home any minute. Most late nights went way past seven. "I feel bad for you brother, being stuck at work."

"I know, he's probably going crazy. He hasn't spent this much time in his office all summer." I turned my head without lifting it. "Hey, do you know who Ikkaku is? Renji said he was over at Ikkaku's house." Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, he goes to our school. He's one of Renji's friends that are such bad influences that not even Hisagi likes him." I laughed.

"Are you saying Hisagi is a bad influence?" Ichigo smiled.

"He was before he started dating Michiru. He used to do drugs and all kinds of shit, getting Renji involved but they both stopped because Michiru asked them to."

"Really? I mean I know they drink but I can't really imagine Hisagi using drugs." He shrugged.

"You only know Hisagi as he is now; it's like what Kon said a long time ago, he used to be just like Renji before he met 'Chiru. All he worried about was getting drunk, high, and laid. We kind of hated him until we got to know his sober side." I nodded. "But then again, he thought he was better than us because aside from Renji, no one else would party with him."

"Wow."

"Anyways, my point, if you see Ikkaku just stay away from him. Like I said, he's worse than Hisagi _was_."

"Oh, Renji said he's coming with us tonight." I felt Ichigo tense.

"Who? Ikkaku?" I nodded.

"That doesn't make any sense; Michiru would never want to hang out with Renji if she knew Ikkaku was coming." I shrugged. Ichigo shook his head. "I don't want to sound controlling but you really shouldn't go if Ikkaku's going." There was a loud knock on the door and Renji let himself in. He smiled down at us.

"Hey guys." Ichigo didn't bother returning the greeting.

"Is Ikkaku going with you?" Renji blinked.

"Yeah, why?"

"Does Michiru know that?" He nodded.

"Dude, don't worry about it. I already talked to Ikkaku about behavior." Renji smiled at Ichigo's concerns.

"Rukia said you were at his house, what were you doing?"

"Ichigo, chill out. If you're asking if we drank or smoked anything, we didn't. We're sober. You think I'd drive if I weren't?" Ichigo still didn't look satisfied.

"I don't want Rukia around him."

"What? She'll be fine." I sat up, pushing myself off the couch.

"He's right, we're just going to see a movie." Ichigo sighed.

"Fine." Renji smiled and roughly patted Ichigo's shoulder.

"I'm gonna go say hi to Kon and Kisa before we leave." I nodded as he headed towards the kitchen. I turned back to Ichigo, laying a hand on his head. He wrapped his arms around my waist.

"Don't worry about it, okay?" He nodded. I hugged onto his neck, resting my weight against him. Ichigo's grip tightened around me.

"I love you." I pulled back and kissed him quickly.

"Love you too." He let go of my waist only to grab my hands as Renji reentered the living room. I squeezed his hands before pulling away. Renji pulled open the door but before he could step outside Byu walked in. I smiled up at him. "Hey Byu, how was work?" He smiled back, tossing his suit jacket on the couch before loosening his tie.

"It was work. Are you guys all headed out?" I nodded, feeling guilty for leaving him home alone again. "Okay, have fun." He leaned over and kissed the top of my head. Renji told everyone goodbye, patting Byuakuya on the shoulder. I turned and waved to Kon and Kisa before following Renji out the door. When we reached his truck he pulled my door open for me and helped me into the back seat. Michiru was sitting the the passenger seat. She turned and smiled at me happily.

"Hey, Rukia!" I returned the gesture.

"Hi, Michiru." After Renji got behind the wheel we backed up and pulled out of the driveway.

"We have to go pick up Ikkaku but his house is pretty close to the theatre so we should make it on time." My eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"I thought you were at his house earlier, why didn't he just ride with you?"

"My mom called me like twenty minutes after I got off the phone with you and asked me to come home and help my dad. So I left and told him that we'd just pick him up on the way there." I nodded. Michiru turned in her seat, facing me again.

"Ikkaku's kind of a jerk so don't feel obligated to talk to him, I usually ignore him." I laughed.

"I will keep that in mind." She turned back to Renji, touching his arm to get his attention.

"Did you ask Rukia what she would rather see?" He shook his head and glanced at me in the rearview mirror.

"Horror or comedy?" I shrugged.

"I don't care." Renji grinned.

"Sweet so I get your vote?" Laughing, I nodded.

"Sure if you want it."

"No! Let me have your vote, I already know Ikkaku's going to take Renji's side." Michiru turned again but Renji shook his head.

"Too late, it's mine." She sighed, folding her arms.

"_Fine_." Renji smiled over at her comfortingly.

"Don't worry about it, it's just a movie." She nodded.

"I know." His smile widened, his attention going back to the road. Outside I noticed that it was darker than usual; the moon was covered with clouds, making it seem later than it actually was. After a few minutes of comfortable silence Renji pulled onto what I first thought was a dirt road. We had taken the backroads this far and it wouldn't surprise me if it were a road but Renji said that it was Ikkaku's driveway. His house was pretty isolated, surrouded by large empty fields. Renji parked and honked the horn a few times. After a few seconds of waiting the door opened and Ikkaku headed for the truck. He came around to the passenger seat and pulled open Michiru's door.

"What the hell?" He reached over her, acting like he was going to unbuckle her. She pushed his arm away.

"Stop, get in the back." When he reached for my door, Michiru stopped him again. "Other side, moron." He smiled up at Michiru, acting as if their banter was normal. He walked around the back of the truck and pulled himself in. He smiled over at me, seeming friendly enough. I returned the gesture before turning towards Renji. I didn't recognize him, thinking that if I had seen a kid at our school who got away with shaving his head I would have remembered him.

"So what are we seeing?" His question was directed towards Renji. Renji glanced at Michiru before turning his gaze to his rearview mirror.

"It's up to you; horror or comedy." Ikkaku smiled, glancing at Michiru before answering.

"Horror." She turned back in her seat, glaring at him.

"You're an asshole." My eyebrows rose, surprised with her word choice. Ikkaku grinned in return, pushing her back towards the front half of the car.

"Can you two chill out? Leave each other alone." Renji seemed irritated.

"Hey it's not my fault she's flirting with me because she got rid of that boyfriend of hers." Michiru laughed.

"That's disgusting."

"Oh my god, shut the hell up before I throw both of you out." Michiru turned to Renji smiling.

"You wouldn't." He smiled and rolled his eyes.

"I might." Renji backed up and turned towards the road, driving down Ikkaku's driveway. From the looks of it, the back roads were getting a little busy. Renji stopped, waiting for a car then turned onto the road. Michiru leaned back against her seat and sighed. Renji glanced over at her, reaching over to grab her hand. I looked past them, noticing a car up ahead of us turning onto the road. The vehicle sped up, swerved a little before settling on their side of the road. Renji had refocused on the road but turned back to Michiru quickly, asking her a question I didn't hear. My eyes stayed on that car. They were only seconds from speeding past us but started swerving again. My eyes widened; there was not time or space for us to dodge them. If an accident was avoided it would be because they corrected themselves. As their headlights flashed threw the windshield I yelled, seeming to be the only one aware.

"Renji!" I noticed him tense but it was too late. My eyes shut instinctively as the speeding vehicle drove into us. I felt my body weight attempt to slam itself into the back of Michiru's seat but my seatbelt stopped me. Michiru screamed as metal crunched; glass broke which was followed by a distant thump. Renji's truck started sliding sideways due to the impact until it was slammed into a nearby tree. My eyes remained shut as we finally stopped moving. Pain shot up and down my left leg and hip. I opened my eyes just in time to see Ikkaku's body fall over, landing over my legs. I screamed, shaking him as blood started pouring from his head. Another sharp pain ran over the back of my head and a black cloud started taking over my vision until I was unconcious.

-:-

The shrieking of sirens stirred me. I felt stiff as I sat up, opening my eyes to find Ikkaku still laying over my lap. I looked towards the front of the car to find Renji covered in blood, his side of the truck was the side that was smashed against a tree. Renji's shoulder's slumped, he made no movement even after I called his name. I couldn't see Michiru to see how badly she had been hurt and when I called for her there was no answer. A few voices started getting closer until a fireman approached my window. Our eyes met and I started to cry. He gave me a sympathetic look and pulled open my door.

"Miss, are you hurt-" He cut himself off when he saw Ikkaku, his eyes widened. The man turned back towards the flashing lights. "Hurry up, there are three in here!" His eyes met mine again. "Just give us a few minutes, okay? We'll get you out of there." His words started sounding muffled and my vision was getting blurry. I felt dizzy sitting there and I finally realized how much pain Ikkaku's weight was causing my hip. My eyes went back to the window just in time to see Isshin standing next to the fireman. He started talking but I couldn't hear him. I shut my eyes and felt my body slump forward before succumbing to unconciousness again.

-:-

"-the hell? Why can't I-" Someone's yelling filled my ears, waking me, until they were cut off. I opened my eyes only to be blinded by bright florescent lights. I turned my head away, squinting as an extremely painful headache started to pulse behind my temples. My eyes focused and I noticed someone standing next to me. Dr. Tanaka's face came into view.

"Rukia?" His hand rested against my forehead momentarily and I turned the other way, expecting Byuakuya. "Rukia, it's Dr. Tanaka. Do you remember me?" I closed my eyes and nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Horrible." I croaked out the word, my throat feeling dry. I let out a cough and tried to push myself into a sitting position. The doctor's hand rested on my shoulder, pushing me back down carefully.

"No, don't move too much." Pain shot down my leg, starting at my hip. I winced. "You broke your hip. Do you remember the car accident?" I opened my eyes as they finally adjusted to the light.

"How did I break my hip?"

"Do you remember the accident, Rukia?" I sighed, looking up at him.

"Yes, how did I break it?"

"Your seat belt snapped during the collision, letting half your body weight slam forwards. The pressure of it broke your hip." As he spoke the pain in my leg and the stiffness in the rest of my body seemed to intensify. Tears built up in my eyes and I didn't have the energy to hold them in.

"Is my brother here?"

"Yes but you can't have any visitors yet."

"Why not?"

"Rukia you've been going in and out of conciousness, your body hasn't stabeled itself yet." I brought my hands to my face, flinching because I had ripped my IV out of my arm. Dr. Tanaka grabbed my wrist and carefully held it down long enough to fix the IV. I closed my eyes, clenching my jaw tightly shut. "Rukia just sit still okay? Do you need some pain killers?"

"Yes." I spoke through my teeth. The door was pushed open as someone rushed in.

"Rukia?" I looked up at the sound of Isshin's voice. He stood on the other side of the hospital bed as Dr. Tanaka started measuring out some medicine in a seringe. "Oh my god, are you okay? How are you feeling?"

"Dr. Kurosaki, did you let someone know that we need some nurses in here?" Isshin nodded at Tanaka's words.

"They're coming. What procedure did you decide on?"

"Well she doesn't seem to have any head trauma and the only major injury we could find was her broken hip. The medicine I just gave her should help her sleep while we set her hip and take care of that. At the moment, no surgical procedures are necessary. Besides we need as many people focusing on the other two as we can get." Isshin nodded, his hand resting carefully on my head.

"Wait, what happened to the other?" I turned from one doctor to the other. Isshin sighed before answering.

"Michiru was thrown out of the car...it doesn't look like she'll make it." My breath caught in my throat.

"What-" He continued.

"Renji's slipped into a coma, he suffered from a pretty severe head injury." He ran a hand through his hair before finishing. "And Ikkaku was killed instantly by the impact." Isshin leaned down and kissed my forehead. "Thank God you're okay, Rukia." A handful of nurses came rushing into the room and I started feeling the effect of the medicine. Not only was the pain dulling but my eyelids started to grow heavy. I met eyes with Isshin one last time before my eyelids slid shut. Within seconds the darkness of sleep swallowed me again.

-:-

**Ah! I can't believe I finally updated within a week! I hope you guys like this even though it's only like 5000 words or so! I really want to know what you guys thought about the accident! I promise more will be revealed about it next chapter! Please review! **


	19. Chapter 19

**I'm back! I hope to get this up this weekend! I've been so productive today and even though a friend is supposed to stay over tonight, I'll try and pump out a few thousand words! I hope you all enjoyed the action from the last chapter! Thanks so much for all the reviews!**

**Anyway, on with the story! **

**-:-**

_"Shut the fuck up, Rukia!" My father's words were slurred as he screamed at me for crying. I sat on the dirty carpet of our old apartment and wiped my eyes with the back of my hands. My ankle was throbbing in pain. My dad had pushed me out of his way half way down the stairs, causing me to tumble down the rest of them and twist my ankle. Mother was in the bathroom covering her face in make-up and Hisana was out grocery shopping. She had taken the bus early that morning before Byu had gotten there. Byuakuya sat on the floor a few feet from me, trying not to interfere with my father's "parenting". I couldn't contain my tears as I let out another sob. "Goddamnit!" He pushed himself out of his chair and stomped over to me. His large hand curled around my upper arm as he pulled me to my feet. Leaning over, his face was only inches from mine._

_"There is nothing wrong with you, shut the fuck up!" The smell of alcohol came off of him but that was normal. My eyebrows turned down as I gained a little composure._

_"Makito, do you want me to take her outside?" Byu spoke up, offering to play with me to get me away from my dad. _

_"No, she's staying inside." He let go of my arm. The pressure on my ankle caused pain to throb up my lower leg and I winced, letting out a quiet pained cry. My father raised his hand, striking me in the face. I fell back onto my butt, my eyes closed as tears started to reform. I felt his hands grab both of my arms, picking me up off the ground. He threw me onto the couch and got in my face again. "Look at me, Rukia." He spoke through clenched teeth, scaring me. I opened my eyes and looked into his eyes through blurred vision. "Stay on this couch until I tell you to get up and you better keep your goddamn mouth shut. Got it?" I leaned back, putting some distance between us, and nodded. Just as he straightened my mother came down the hallway. Her long dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail and she dressed in cut off jean shorts and a tank top. Despite her bad habits of drinking and doing drugs she looked younger than she actually was. She had a kind face, one that doesn't match her attitude. She glanced at me, glaring when our eyes met, before turning to Byu._

_"Are you sure you don't mind babysitting even though Hisana's still gone?" Byuakuya forced a smile and nodded, glancing over at me. _

_"Of course, I love spending time with Rukia." I held back a smile, wishing he would come pick me up. Byuakuya pushed himself off the floor and brushed his hair behind his shoulders. He towered over my mother who was only about an inch taller than my sister. After a few minutes of small talk between the two my father sighed and told my mom that they're leaving. He glared down at me and reminded me to sit quietly, telling Byu to let him know if I "misbehave". Once they were gone Byuakuya locked the door and approached the couch, picking me up carefully. I wrapped my arms around his neck tightly and cried into his shoulder._

_"Sh, it's okay." He sat on the couch and held me. "Rukia?" I tried to sit up, to meet his eyes but my head felt heavy and pain started surging threw my leg. "Ruk-"_

-:-

"Rukia?" My eyes slowly open, adjusting to the florescent lights of the hospital room quickly. My head is throbbing and my body feels more stiff than the last time I was concious. Pain resides in my hip and upper thigh. I look over to find Byuakuya sitting in the chair next to my bed. Dark circles are under his eyes and I wonder what time and day it is. I also wonder if he slept in the hospital with me. He smiles, squeezing my hand.

"Hey, Byu."

"How are you feeling?" I shrugged.

"I've been better." My mind went to the others. "Wait, what's going on with Renji and Michiru?" Byu laid his hand on my forehead absently.

"Michiru is doing much better but she slipped into a coma yesterday morning." I frowned.

"How is that much better?"

"She was dead for three minutes; even though she's in a coma she's not considered in critical condition. Her body is stable for the first time and the doctor's think that this is the only way she would've lived through the accident." I nodded, tightening my grip on his hand.

"What about Renji?"

"He's still in a coma, too. They believe his is worse, they don't have any hope that he's going to come out of it." My eyebrows furrowed at this new information. Byu leaned down next to me and rested his head against my pillow. "I'm so happy you're okay, Rukia. Are you in much pain?" I shrugged, still feeling as if I had been stuck in bed for a week.

"My hip hurts pretty badly, but that's about it." I wrapped my arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, remembering my dream about my parents. Byuakuya kissed my forehead and sat up, pushing my arms down to my sides.

"Be careful with your IVs." I nodded, turning my eyes back to the ceiling.

"Is Ichigo here?" Byuakuya laughed quietly before answering.

"He's on his way. He took Kon and Kisa home to shower and get some clean clothes. He sent me a text message a few minutes before you woke up saying they were on their way." My eyes returned to his.

"How long have I been in the hospital?"

"You got here two nights ago; a little over twenty four hours."

"What time is it?" His hand found my hair again.

"It's ten-thirty."

"In the morning?" He nodded. "Can I sit up?"

"Not yet." I sighed, stretching out my right leg. The door was pushed open as Isshin led Ichigo and Kon inside. Kisa followed behind Kon; her hair was dark and wavey, looking moist. She smiled when our eyes met and I returned the gesture. Isshin grinned down at me also as he approached the side of my bed.

"Hey Ruk, how are you feeling?" They all circled around my bed, Isshin resting his hand on the top of my head.

"Eh."

"Are you in pain?" I shrugged.

"Kinda." Isshin nodded.

"Okay, I'll go talk to Dr. Tanaka and find out when I can give you some more pain medicine." I nodded as he left. Kon leaned against the bed, resting half his weight on it.

"Hey Rukia."

"Hi guys." Kisa sat on the arm of Byu's chair, resting her elbow on the other side of my bed.

"Do you want us to get everyone else?" My eyebrows turned down.

"Everyone else?" He nodded, standing again.

"Yeah, both Michiru and Renji's parents are here and so is Hisagi. I think Kiba and Tatsuki went downstairs to the cafeteria but they've been here since eight. Do you want me to go get them?" I shrugged again.

"Sure, I don't care." He turned to Kisa.

"Wanna come with me?" She nodded and followed him out the door. Byuakuya stood also, stretching his arms over his head.

"I'm going to go get some coffee, I'll be back." He pushed himself off his chair and stretched his arms above his head. I noticed for the first time that he was wearing sweats. My mind instantly went to the months we practically lived in the hospital, spending our last days with Hisana. Byu gently patted my leg. "Do either of you want anything from the cafeteria while I'm out?" I shook my head, pushing away the memories.

"Do you mind grabbing me some coffee?" Ichigo leaned back in his chair, speaking for the first time.

"Sure, black?" Ichigo nodded and Byuakuya turned, shuffling out the room. I turned towards Ichigo.

"Have you seen the other two?" He stood before sitting on the side of the hospital bed, similar to the way Kon had.

"No, I can't bring myself to go in their rooms." My eyebrows turned down.

"They can't die." There was a pleading tone in my voice. Ichigo squeezed my hand; his skin felt warm. I pushed away the urge to cry. "How are their parents?"

"Horrible. The first thing Michiru's mother did was yell at Renji's parents, blaming the whole accident on Renji." My eyes widened slightly.

"What?" Ichigo nodded, going on.

"Shenji started to yell back but Hisagi helped Mr. Ogawa break it up. Fujita's been apologizing to them everytime they speak."

"What about the other people? Were they people in the other car injured?" Ichigo's expression hardened noticeably.

"Just cuts and scrapes, the dumb bastards were drunk. The driver was arrested after being looked at by a doctor." I stared at the ceiling, worrying about losing the other two. It seemed unfair for them to be experiencing so much pain when I was laying a few rooms away with a broken hip. It was even more unfair that Ikkaku had died; it also seemed unreal. I had just met him days ago and now he was dead. It may sound selfish or self-centered to other people but the thought of being the only one to live through the accident seemed unbearable. I sighed, trying to think positive thoughts.

"I want to sit up." Ichigo smiled down at me, the dark circles under his eyes standing out.

"I'm sure you do but Dr. Tanaka said you have to give yourself a few extra days to heal from surgery."

"Surgery?" He nodded slowly.

"You had to have surgery, they couldn't set your hip back because of some complications. If you wanna know they details you're going to have to ask my dad." The door was pushed open as Kon led Mr. Ogawa and the Abarai's into my room. Kiba and Tatsuki came in moments later. They circled around my bed. After a few minutes of talking and catching up Byuakuya returned with Isshin. Everyone only stayed for about twenty minutes before dismissing themselves. The parents wanted to return to their children and Tatsuki had to get home. Isshin stayed a little longer but later had to leave to check on Renji and his parents. Kon, Kisa, and Ichigo all stayed in my room and kept me company for a few hours. After lunch Isshin returned with more pain medication, injecting a seringe into my IV. About twenty minutes later my limbs started to feel heavy as I drifted off to sleep.

-:-

The following week was first few following days I slept on and off, completely screwing up my sleeping pattern. I would wake up in the middle of the night while Byuakuya and Kisa slept together on the small cot the hospital provided them with. The only people aware of my conciousness were the night time nurses and sometimes Isshin if he came into the room to check up on me. The healing process was extremely slow, especially when you had nothing to do but lie in bed waiting for your body to fix itself. It wasn't until the eighth day spent in the hospital was I allowed to sit up. That was also the day Dr. Tanaka informed me that I'd have to spend a few weeks using a cane once I was released from the hospital.

Kon and Ichigo came on a daily basis, spending most of each day with me, sometimes even sleeping in the padded chairs sitting next to my bed. I had a fair amount of visitors, mostly the parents of Michiru and Renji. Hisagi came and saw me everytime he was in the building, looking exhausted and stressed out. During a conversation between just the two of us he broke down and told me that he knew Michiru wouldn't make it. He cried for five minutes before composing himself and apologizing. After that he rarely visited me longer than a few minutes at a time. Byuakuya's parents came and saw me once, telling me that they would take care of my hospital bills so Byu and I didn't have to worry about the "extra financial burdens".

Despite all the people filtering in and out I had a lot of quiet time, though it was rarely spent alone. Byuakuya and I talked all the time, reminiscing old memories. He brought me a few books to read but between sleeping and talking with him I never opened them once. After a few days in the hospital Kisa and Byuakuya went to the school and talked with the administrators about my current situation. Between the information Byu had gotten from Isshin and Dr. Tanaka he was able to come up with a reasonable date for me to start school. Kon, Kisa, and Ichigo started going, heading back toward the hospital right after school.

Eleven days after being cooped up in the hospital bed I was finally allowed to get up and try walking around. It was a Monday afternoon, I had just finished lunch when Isshin led a nurse into my room. He approached my bed, looking happier than I had seen him in a while.

"Hey Rukia, how are you feeling?"

"Good, you?" He laughed quietly.

"I'm feeling good." He pushed some of my unkept hair behind my shoulder. "Do you wanna try getting out of bed?" A smile found its way to my face.

"Really?"

"Really, but you have to promise to tell me as soon as you feel pain okay? You shouldn't feel too much, most of it should just be discomfort or soreness." I nodded, pushing the blankets away from my legs. I started pushing my way towards the edge of the bed.

"Wait, hold on a second." Isshin grabbed my arm, holding me in place. I sighed and folded my arms. Byu and Isshin laughed at my impatience. Isshin let go of my arm before grasping both of my legs, pulling them over the ledge of the bed. "I still have to get your cane so don't get up yet." He left, heading out the door as Byu stood. My brother walked around the bed and stood in front of me, smiling.

"Are you excited?" I nodded.

"Hell yeah, I'm ready to get out of here." He patted my head.

"Ruk, it's going take a little more time before you can walk out of here." I nodded again.

"I know but at least now they're going to start letting me get out of bed more often." Isshin returned and handed me a thick black cane. Once he was sure I had a good grip on it he carefully helped me off of the bed. Pain shot up and down my left leg and my knees gave out. Byuakuya grasped my arm, holding me up. My fingers curled around the fabric of his sleeve as I tried to regain balance. Isshin helped me rest my weight against the cane.

"Are you okay?" Isshin's tone sounded urgent. "Do you want to sit back down?" I shook my head, still holding onto my brother's sleeve. I tried to ignore the ache in my hip but I was surprised after all this time staying in bed there was still so much pain in simply standing. "Rukia, are you experiencing pain?"

"I'm fine." Byuakuya's expression was one of concern.

"Rukia." I ignored him and did everything in my power to keep my weight off of my left leg.

"Come on, Isshin, let's walk." Isshin sighed knowing that I wasn't going to let him stick me back in my hospital bed. He reluctantly helped me walk to the hallway where we walked around the entire floor. The pain in my hip eventually faded until it was a bareable throb. The stiffness in my knees left after ten minutes or so. Although I walked extremely slowly, I was feeling better just being able to get around. The cane was the most painful part of it all and I couldn't imagine depending on it for what the doctors predicted to be weeks, if not months. After Byu and Isshin followed me around the floor for almost an hour Isshin insisted that I go back to bed.

Once I was back in my room, sitting up in my bed, I felt more confined than before. I hated knowing that I was capable of getting up but couldn't. In the three hours before Kisa, Kon, and Ichigo got back to the hospital I continued to ask Isshin if I could get up but he told me it was too soon. Byuakuya made sure to keep my cane on the other side of the room so I couldn't get up without them. He knew me too well.

About half past three Kon and Kisa entered the room, donning their school uniforms. Kon dropped his school bag on the floor, his other hand holding onto to Kisa's. He grinned as our eyes met.

"Hey Rukia!" I returned the gesture as they approached my bed.

"Hi guys, how was school?" Kon shrugged.

"Eh, boring as always." His eyebrows rose suddenly. "But, Kisa was moved into our math class."

"Wow, that's awesome." Kisa brushed it off.

"That's great Kisa, we're so proud of you." Byuakuya reached over, tugging on her free hand. She smiled down at him before pulling away. "Guess what Rukia did today?" Kon looked at me curiously.

"What?"

"She walked." Kon smiled again, sitting on the bed next to me, finally letting go of Kisa.

"That's amazing! Was it hard?" I shrugged, unable to keep the smile off my face.

"Yeah, actually, but it's exciting. I'm ready to get out of here." He gave me a sympathetic look.

"It's going to take longer than you think." I sighed.

"I know." Kon leaned over and kissed the top of my head. I quickly hugged him. He leaned back, resting his weight on his hands. "Where's Ichigo?"

"He's talking with his dad." There was a knowing smile on his face. I regarded him suspiciously.

"What's with that look?" Kon shook his head.

"Nothing." I brushed it off and asked something I had been wondering for a while.

"Has Hisagi been going to school?" Kon's eyebrows turned down as he shook his head.

"No, he's been here. He hasn't come to see you at all?"

"No." An angry expression fell over his face as he pushed himself off of the bed. "What's wrong Kon?" He ignored me and headed for the door. He took a step out of the room but soon stopped, focusing on something.

"Shuuhei!" I slumped back against my bed. "Get in here, now." I heard Hisagi protest, saying something about having to go. "No, get your ass in here now!"

"Kon!" He held his finger up, in a gesture for me to wait. After a minute both Kon and Hisagi reentered the room. Shuuhei greeted Byu, looking a little uncomfortable, he refused to meet my eyes and I knew he was still embarrassed about breaking down in front of me.

"What the hell is your problem, Hisagi?" Shuuhei met Kon's eyes looking confused.

"What?"

"I've noticed you ignoring Rukia and she just told me that you haven't been in here to see her since school started. What the hell?" Hisagi scratched the back of his neck, looking guilty.

"Kon leave him-" Kon shoved Shuuhei, knocking him into the wall.

"Rukia's the only one of our friends that you _can_ talk to and you're just going to ignore her?" Byuakuya stood, noticing Kon's clenched fists. He approached them but Kon continued yelling. "You're here everyday and you can't give up some of your wasted time to keep her company?" Hisagi glanced over at me, looking upset.

"Kon, leave him alone." Kon turned back to me, glaring, before turning his scrutinizing gaze back on Sagi. He pulled his arm away from Byuakuya and pushed the door open, leaving the room. Kisa sighed before wedging her way between Byu and Hisagi. She left after him, calling his name loudly, sounding annoyed. Byuakuya glanced between Hisagi and I before excusing himself, patting Shuuhei's shoulder encouragingly. Once we were alone I gave him a sympathetic smile.

"I'm sorry he said all that, I understand why you might not wanna come see me." Hisagi approached my bedside, shaking his head.

"No, Kon's right, I've been a real dick about it." He sighed, rubbing his eyes tiredly. He sat in Byu's chair before leaning his elbows on the edge of the matress. "I'm sorry, Rukia. I just thought I was bringing your mood down by complaining to you about everything. You don't need to hear that shit, you're the one who's stuck in this bed with a broken hip." I shook my head, laying my hand over his.

"I'm fine, as big a deal as everyone is making out of this I know I'm going to be okay. You have every reason to be upset, both Michiru and Renji are still in pretty critical conditions."

"That doesn't mean it's okay that I don't come see you. You're stuck in here all day and I'll make it a habit to come see you at least once a day." I smiled. "That's if you want me to."

"Of course I do, I get so bored." Hisagi hugged me, resting his head on my shoulder. I returned the gesture, patting his head. He sat up as the door swung open. Ichigo walked into the room, holding a small bouquet of flowers.

"Hey Ruk, Hisagi." Hisagi cocked an eyebrow, eyeing the flowers.

"Hey man, what's up?" Ichigo approached the other side of the bed, resting the flowers over my legs.

"Nothing, how have you been? Haven't seen you in a while." Ichigo's hand rested on my head, he leaned over and kissed my forehead.

"I've been better, I've spent a lot of time with Fujita lately." I looked up at Ichigo questioningly.

"What are these for?" Ichigo turned down towards me, a small smile on his face.

"Just cause." His attention went back to Hisagi. "Have you guys heard anything new about Michiru?" Shuuhei's face shifted at the mention of her name.

"No, nothing." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "She's been exactly the same for nearly eight days." I squeezed his hand, offering as much comfort as anyone could. Hisagi smiled down at me, pulling my hand closer to his face. He kissed the back of my hand quickly before pushing himself out of his chair. "I'll leave you guys alone, I was headed for the cafeteria anyways."

"See ya later." Ichigo settled into the seat next to my bed. Hisagi let go of my hand and headed for the door.

"Bye, I'll be back later, love you guys."

"We love you too, Sagi." He smiled and turned, making his way towards the exit when the door was pushed open again. Katsurou and Mei Mei rushed in looking anxious. Mei Mei looked really upset, her eyes glazed over. When she saw Hisagi she wrapped her arms around him and started crying loudly. He returned the gesture holding her tightly.

"You saw her?" Hisagi's question was directed to Mei Mei but Katsurou answered.

"Yes." He sighed. "She's in worse condition than we thought." He met my eyes and made his way to my bedside in a few strides. "How are you?" He leaned over and hugged me tightly, holding onto me longer than expected.

"I'm feeling much better, thanks for asking." Ichigo touched Katsurou's arm to get his attention.

"You guys are just getting here?" My uncle nodded.

"We were in China and when we tried to book a plane back they said there were 'issues' with my passport." He rolled his eyes, pushing his hair out of his face.

"What happened?"

"Aparently I looked suspicous to some of the officers there; they thought I was sent by the Japanese military." My eyebrows turned down.

"What? Why?"

"I tried to talk with _someone_ of authority to talk about some location issues the business is having in northern China. Even though I never got the opportunity to see him they thought I had something to do with some armed man who showed up the day of my appointment." Mei Mei wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.

"They refused to let us leave because they thought he was trying to take territory information back to Japan."

"Wow, how'd you guys get things cleared up?" Ichigo leaned some of his weight against the bed.

"I finally got ahold of someone from the business and they talked with the authorities. It was just one of those weird coincidences that lead to a lot of weird shit." I laughed.

"Katsurou." He smiled over at Mei Mei's scolding. Again the door was pushed open as Byuakuya reentered the room. Mei Mei smiled up at him, a hint of sadness still touching her expression. "Hey Byuakuya." She hugged him in greeting. Byu returned the gesture, glancing at Hisagi. Shuuhei dismissed himself, finally making his way to the cafeteria.

"How have you been Byu?" Katsurou straightened up, leaving his hand on my back.

"Good, a little tired but I can't complain." He reached out and pushed my hair behind my shoulder. "Rukia's been doing a lot better." I smiled and tried to spare their feelings when I pushed their hands away, feeling the need for a little space. Katsurou laughed.

"Sorry, Sweety, we're just happy to see you." I nodded.

"I know." Byu looked down at my lap.

"Who brought you flowers?"

"Ichigo." Both Byuakuya and Katsurou turned towards Ichigo, smiling knowingly. Katsurou spoke up.

"What's the occasion?" Ichigo shrugged, brushing off all the attention. When that didn't seem to please them as an answer Ichigo spoke up.

"She's alive?" Katsurou laughed and patted Ichigo's shoulder, letting it go. I sat the flowers on the bedside table as Mei Mei started chatting with Ichigo, asking about school. The two stayed for almost an hour before Mei Mei said something about going to see the Ogawa's. Byuakuya also dismissed himself after his brother and sister-in-law left. He offered to grab us something to drink since he was leaving to grab some coffee. Once we were alone I turned towards Ichigo.

"So, what's the real reason you got me flowers?" Ichigo laughed.

"What? I told you, just because I wanted to." I shrugged. "Fine, don't believe me, I'll just take them back." I smiled.

"Guess what I did today?" He returned the gesture, grabbing my hand absently.

"What?"

"Your dad helped me get out of bed and let me walk around." His expression softened.

"Serious? That's awesome Rukia. How was it? Did it hurt?" I shrugged.

"Yeah but it was still great. I just want to get out of bed and do it again but Isshin said no." Ichigo laughed, squeezing my hand.

"That makes me feel so much better. I can't believe you're already recovering." The door was shoved open quickly as Kon stepped in, stealing our attention.

"You guys, Michiru's awake!"

"Really?" Ichigo stood, stepping towards the exit. "Can we see her?"

"If you hurry." He took another step towards the door but turned back to me, looking uncertain. I smiled.

"Go, Ichigo." He stood there, still not making a decision. "Hurry up!" I smiled reassuringly, finally getting him to leave. He nodded and followed Kon outside of the room, leaving me alone. I leaned back against the wall, wishing I could go see her too. Once I realized that Byu wasn't coming back either I reluctantly picked up one of the books Byu had brought me and started reading.

-:-

After about an half an hour waiting for someone to tell me what was going on Byuakuya finally returned to the room. He walked up to the bed holding the bottle of water I had asked for a while ago. I took it from his hands, asking about Michiru. Byu sat down, leaning back in his designated chair before answering.

"She seems perfectly fine, the doctors are a little concerned that something may show up later but she has all her memory and doesn't seem mentally affected or damaged by her head injury." As he spoke he pulled his hair into a ponytail, getting it out of his face. "They want to move her into the room across the hall, to open up a space in the ICU." I nodded, glancing out the door at the room reflected across the hallway.

"Did she only have a head injury?"

"No, she suffered from a lot of broken bones and some internal bleeding. She broke three ribs, her left arm, and cracked her skull. The poor thing is covered in bruises; she looks awful but the doctors have reassured her parents that all that's left, hoping no memory issues show up, is for her body to recover."

"That's good, she-" I cut myself off as Isshin entered the room.

"Hey, Ruk, do you want to go see Michiru before she get's some sleep?" I nodded eagerly in response. He smiled and grabbed my cane before approaching the bed. "Are you sure you're up to it?"

"I'm sure."

"Okay." He pushed the blankets away and turned my legs, pulling them over the edge. I eased my way onto the floor, only letting my right foot touch the cold surface. I grabbed the cane, gently rested my left foot on the ground and balanced my weight between cane and right leg. Again pain shot up and down the left side of my body, starting from hip to ankle. For a brief moment I thought I was going to collapse so I leaned back against the side of the hosptial bed. Isshin grabbed me and carefully hoisted me back onto my bed. He sighed, regarding me with confusion.

"Something is not right; I don't think your hip is healing correctly." I heard the door being pushed open but didn't turn to see who it was. I was too upset with the news. "Ichigo go ask a nurse to bring me a wheel chair. And if you see Dr. Tanaka ask him to give me just a few more minutes." Ichigo left without a word and within a few minutes a nurse with a wheel chair was leading him back into the room. Instead of helping me off the bed, Isshin picked me up and sat me in the chair, not letting my feet touch the ground. Ichigo stood next to the chair, absently grabbing one of the handles.

"Is everything okay?" He directed the question to his dad, looking worried. Isshin nodded.

"Yes, I don't think there's anything seriously wrong. I'll worry about it later, Rukia wants to see Michiru." Ichigo nodded and stepped out of his father's way. The nurse held open the door as Byuakuya and Ichigo followed Isshin and I out the door. I was taken to the nearest elevator where we went to the sixth floor. After exiting the elevator Isshin led the way to Michiru's room. When we entered the room we found Dr. Tanaka leaning over her bed, talking to her quietly. I couldn't see her face but I heard her respond to him, her voice flooding me with memories from the night of the accident. Isshin wheeled me over to her bedside next to Kon and Kisa. They were the only visitors left except for her parents and Hisagi who was sitting anxiously in the corner. Michiru turned, finally exposing her face to me. Half of her skin was scratched and red; on the opposite side of her face her jawline was dotted with dark bruises. There was a thick white bandage around her head, laying in a headband-like fashion. She smiled when she saw me but I noticed her eyes glaze over with tears. I realized for the first time that a frown had found its way to my face.

"Hey, Rukia, are you okay?" She spoke quietly, sounding short winded. I wondered if her broken ribs had done any damage to her lungs. I carefully grabbed her hand as tears built up in my own eyes. I looked down at her arms to find them covered in purple bruises; my eyes went across the bed to find her left arm in a large white cast. Tears started spilling out my eyes as I answered; I couldn't help the guilt rushing through me.

"I'm fine, what about you?" She shook her head while squeezing my hand. Tears started escaping her too and she let out a quiet sob.

"I'm so sorry; it's all my fault." I froze, surprised.

"W-what?"

"I was distracting Renji, he wasn't paying attention. If I would have kept my mouth shut this wouldn't have happened." Another sob escaped her throat. "I'm so sorry, Rukia, please forgive m-"

"Michiru, this was not your fault, just calm down." Dr. Tanaka rested a hand on her shoulder carefully. "I think you should get some rest, okay? You can visit some more in a few hours." She frowned and turned back to me, squeezing my hand again.

"Will you come visit me when I wake up?" I nodded but Dr. Tanaka spoke in return.

"We're going to move you right across the hall from Rukia once you're asleep so you two will be able to visit very often." She nodded. I pulled my hand away and gently patted her arm.

"Feel better, Michiru." She smiled up at me, looking as cheerful as ever.

"You too, I'll see you in a couple hours." Isshin pulled me back a few feet before stepping closer to the bed. He leaned over and kissed her forehead.

"Feel better, Sweety."

"Will do, love you guys." Dr. Tanaka was already measuring out the medicine in a seringe and injected it into her IV before we left the room. As soon as we made some room Hisagi took our place and started talking to her. Kon and Kisa followed us out of the room as Isshin led us all back to the elevator.

"Wait, can I see Renji?" Isshin froze midstep but instead of answering he turned to Byuakuya, looking concerned. My eyebrows turned down. "What?"

"Ruk, he's in really bad shape. Maybe you should wait until you're feeling a little better."

"No, I wanna see him now." Still Isshin hesitated. "Please?" He sighed but turned the wheel chair around. He led us farther down the hall and turned a corner before reaching the room. The glass doors were slid open, revealing Renji's parents. They were curled up on a small cushioned futon watching Renji's motionless body. We all entered the room quietly, not even getting their attention until Isshin spoke up.

"How are you guys doing?" Ren looked up at us and offered a weak smile, ignoring Isshin's question.

"Rukia, you're out of bed, that's so great. How are you feeling, Honey?"

"Better, thanks." Isshin manuvered around the bed and stopped at the opposite side as Shenji and Ren. Kon sat on the futon next to them, resting his head against Shenji absently. Kisa stood next to the door looking uncomfortable. I fixed my eyes across the room, afraid to look down at Renji for the first time. Finally I willed myself to look at him and regretted it immediately. Something in my chest tightened and I let out a sob as I took in his appearance. The left side of his body was bruised, starting from his forehead and reaching all the way down to his finger tips. A large plastic tube was in his mouth as a machine forced his lungs to intake oxygen. His other arm was dominated by IV's and small monitoring devices. I covered my face with my hands and allowed myself to cry. I tried to keep Renji as disconnected from Hisana in my mind as possible but it was hard. Even Renji looked smaller in his hospital bed. He was hooked up to the same machines and if his body didn't do something soon, his parents would be forced with the same decision Byuakuya made a few months before. I wiped the tears from my face and turned back to Renji, absently laying a hand on his arm. His skin felt unnaturally cold, the muscles in his arm stiff. I heard feet shuffling off to my right and looked up as Byu dismissed himself. He looked pale too and I wondered if he was thinking about Hisana as he hurried out of the room. Ichigo's eyes met mine, a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you ready-" I gasped, interupting Isshin's question, and turned back to Renji. I pulled my hand away after feeling Renji's arm twitch. His fingers curled into a loose fist but he made no other movement. Isshin waited a few moments before saying something directly to Renji but nothing happened. He continued to talk for a few minutes but Renji did nothing. I sighed and leaned back in the wheel chair. "Ichigo, take Rukia back to her room. I'm going to talk with Dr. Tanaka." Ren and Shenji were up and standing at their son's bedside watching hopefully. Ichigo grabbed the handles of the wheel chair and headed towards the exit. Kisa sat on the futon next to Kon as we headed out the door. Once Ichigo and I got back to the room we found it empty; there was no sign of Byuakuya anywhere which worried me. Ichigo picked me up, sitting me carefully in my bed in silence. He absently covered my legs up before leaning over the kiss me. I hugged onto his neck tightly. Without warning, a flood of tears escaped me as I rested my head on his shoulder.

"Are you okay, Rukia?" He sat on the bed next to me and wrapped his arms around me carefully. I shook my head.

"Why did this happen? It's not fair." My hands clutched onto the back of his white uniform shirt.

"Sh." He inhaled deeply before continuing. "Look, I know they both look like they're in bad conditions but you should have seen them the first night you all got here. They've recovered so much and Michiru's awake, she's fine. She might be suffering a lot of pain but she's going to get better." I rubbed my eyes against his shirt absently before resting my head against his collar bone. "Renji's going to get through this; he's stronger than this." Despite the fact that he had no way of knowing that, it made me feel better regardless.

"I love you, Ichigo." He squeezed me before letting go; he leaned over and pressed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck and we stayed that way for a while until he finally pulled away.

"I love you too." He hugged me again. "I'm never going to let something like this happen to you again." I smiled and tried to enjoy the first alone time we had had in what seemed like centuries.

-:-

**Sorry but I've been uber busy with college prep so this had to wait! I hope it was worth it! Please review and let me know what you think! :)**

**Also, sorry, I had this done last Sunday but fanfic wasn't letting me stay on my account. I posted ASAP!**


	20. Chapter 20

**I'm back! So I didn't get much feedback at all from the last chapter; I'm a little disappointed! I wanna know what everyone thinks so please review! I understand many people might be mad that I'm taking so long to update but I'm sorry! College prep is a real bitch so please forgive me! **

**Anywho, on with the story! Again, please review! **

-:-

Ichigo and I sat alone in my hospital room for at least forty minutes before Kon and Kisa returned. They had stayed with Renji's parents while Doctor Tanaka monitored Renji. There were no changes that he saw; his explanation for the sudden movement of Renji's hand was simply a reaction of his nerves. In the time that we had to ourselves, Ichigo and I watched as they moved Michiru into the room across the hall. I felt so much better now that she was moved out of the ICU and I loved having her so close. After Kon filled us in on everything going on with Renji he set up Byu's hospital cot and laid back in it, staring at the ceiling. Kisa sat on the edge of it, stretching her legs out. The room was silent as we all got lost in our thoughts. I leaned back against my pillows thinking about what happened over the last hour.

"Wait, where did Byuakuya go?" I turned to Kisa, reminded of my brother's earlier anxiety. Kisa leaned back on her hands.

"He said he had to get out of the hospital for awhile; he got on the elevator with his keys but didn't say where he was going." I frowned as worry set in. My eyes went to the window; the clouds were covering the sun as it prepared to set. It was dark out for the current time, I suspected rain. Isshin and Dr. Tanaka entered the room together, talking over a file in Isshin's hand. Each doctor chose a side of the bed and approached me.

"Hey Rukia, how are you feeling?" I shrugged a little concerned.

"I'm okay, what's up?" Isshin glanced over at the cot, brows furrowed.

"Where's Byuakuya?"

"Kisa said he left. I don't think he could handle seeing Renji like that." Isshin scratched the back of his head.

"Great timing." There was some sarcasm in his tone confusing me.

"Why? What's going on?"

"Nothing, we just needed to talk to both of you." He sat on the edge of the bed carefully. "Look, I really think something is wrong with your hip. You should not be experiencing that much pain after nearly two weeks. The only reason you had to wait so long to get out of bed was because I requested it." Isshin glanced over at Dr. Tanaka who spoke up.

"We need to do another surgery to correct whatever error we made the first time." I sighed, annoyed with the news.

"Okay, when?"

"We want to do it soon so you can start healing as quickly as possible. Dr. Tanaka suggested tomorrow morning but we wanted Byuakuya's opinion about it." I nodded and reached over for my phone sitting on the small table. After speed-dialing his number I held the phone out to Isshin. I heard Byuakuya address me over the phone. Isshin laughed under his breath. "Hey Byuakuya this is Isshin." He started towards the door, being followed by Dr. Tanaka as he made his way into the hallway. I leaned back tiredly in the bed. Ichigo looked over at me with a concerned expression.

"You okay?" I nodded.

"Yeah, I just don't look forward to laying around in bed for anther two weeks." He reached over and grabbed my hand absently. Outside of the room Isshin and Dr. Tananka were talking something over, the conversation with my brother had ended. Tanaka nodded and left, heading towards the elevator. I noticed my Uncle Katsurou approaching the door, following as Isshin reentered my room.

"Okay so after talking with Byuakuya we've decided we'll wait until tomorrow morning. That way you can get plenty of rest tonight and no one will be up all night waiting for you to get out of surgery." Isshin leaned some of his weight against the edge of the bed before sitting my phone back on the bedside table. "How does that sound?" I nodded.

"Fine." Katsurou gave Isshin a confused look.

"Why is she having another surgery?"

"My hip isn't healing right." He nodded, rested his hand on my head absently.

"Is it hurting at all?" I shrugged, trying to ignore the dull throb in my left hip and leg.

"Yeah I guess a little." Isshin pushed himself off the bed.

"Okay, I'll go get you something for the pain." He absently patted Ichigo's shoulder before leaving again. Katsurou leaned over and kissed the top of my head before taking a step back.

"I have to go, work is waiting for me at home." I smiled up at him.

"Have fun with that." He returned the gesture.

"Oh I will." He checked the time on his phone before repocketing the device. "Anzu called me earlier and said she was going to stop by around six-thirty or seven. Apparently she's in the area and decided to see how you're doing." My nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Are you kidding me? I don't want her to come." Katsurou laughed.

"Don't worry, she won't stay long. She hates hospitals just as much as you do."

"Do you know if Kaminari is with her?" He shrugged.

"I'd imagine but I can't say for sure."

"Great." He carefully patted my leg before dismissing himself.

"I'll try to come see you tomorrow; good luck with your surgery."

"Thanks, love you."

"Love you too Rukia." He turned and hugged Kisa, said goodbye to everyone else and left. A few minutes after Katsurou left Byuakuya returned looking better. I smiled up at him as he walked through the door. He forced a small smile.

"Hey Byu, feeling better?" He shrugged, standing at the end of my bed.

"I suppose." He sighed, pushing his hair behind his shoulders. "Would it be okay with you if I stayed at home tonight?"

"Yeah that's fine; you don't have to ask me."

"I'll be back for your surgery tomorrow." I nodded.

"Okay." He had a concerned look on his face, still unsure.

"Are you positive you're okay with it?" A small smile spread over my face.

"Yes, Byuakuya. You need a good night's rest." I looked around the room. "You should all go home and sleep in your beds."

"I don't want to leave you here alone." Byuakuya rested his hands on the frame of my bed.

"I'll be fine." His expression didn't change; he was obviously worried but I hadn't seen that look on his face since Hisana's coma. Ichigo pushed himself out of his chair.

"I'll stay here tonight if Kon and Kisa want to go home with you for the night. Kon can take Rukia's car to school if you're okay with that." Byuakuya glanced over at Kon and Kisa before nodding.

"If you're sure you don't mind staying then that's fine with me." Ichigo nodded.

"I'm fine with it." I glanced over at the two entering my room. Kaminari snuck up behind Byuakuya and wrapped her arms around him. He jumped in surprise before turning. She smiled and let go.

"Sorry Uncle Byuakuya, I didn't mean to scare you." Byu forced a smile and patted her head in greeting.

"It's fine. How are you?" His demeanor changed the moment he realized his sister was in the room. The only other Kuchiki he seemed comortable around was Katsurou.

"I'm good; sorry to hear about Rukia." She frowned over at me, approaching my bed. I had to restrain the urge to kick her; her face was covered in fake concern. "How are you feeling Rukia?" Anzu stood next to my brother her arms crossed over her chest. I sighed, wishing they would leave already.

"Fine, thanks." Kaminari laughed.

"Fine? How are you fine?" I glared directly at her.

"Well I was better when you weren't here."

"Rukia!" Anzu scolded me, glaring at Byu to see if he would do something about my behavior. She was always judging his parenting skills. Byuakuya sighed and for a moment I thought he'd scold me too just to get Anzu off his back.

"Please leave her alone. She doesn't need you getting on her case, she's in a lot of pain."

"That doesn't give her the right to be rude." Anzu approached my bed, holding out a small bouquet of flowers. She sighed, looking defeated. "Here, feel better Rukia. We'll try to visit you when you've recovered, okay?" I nodded, hoping that meant they were leaving. She turned to Byuakuya. "Can you show us to the other two?" He blinked but nodded, taking a step closer to the door.

"Kisa, Kon, I'll be ready to leave in a few minutes." They nodded in response as Byuakuya led Anzu and Kaminari out. Kami glanced at Ichigo, giving him a cold glare on her way out. He smiled, rolling his eyes at her actions. Kon sat up on the cot, leaning his weight on Kisa. He sighed tiredly, running his hand through his hair absently.

"Good luck on your surgery tomorrow Rukia." I smiled down at him.

"Thanks but I'm sure it'll be fine."

"You're not nervous?"

"Nope."

"Good." Across the hall I saw my aunt hand her flowers for Michiru to Mr. Ogawa. She was speaking to both of Michiru's parents before dismissing herself. Byuakuya pointed towards the elevator and hugged both Anzu and Kaminari goodbye. Once they were on the elevator Byu turned back towards my room and stuck his head in the door.

"Are you two ready?" Kon stood, helping Kisa up.

"Yeah." He grabbed their school bags and said goodbye to Ichigo and I. "Bye you guys, see you tomorrow."

"Bye."

"I'll be back tomorrow morning, probably before you're even up." Byuakuya spoke in a reassuring tone. I smiled and nodded.

"Okay, see you then." With that they left, Kon and Kisa falling into step with Byuakuya. The rest of the night crawled by and after twenty minutes or so Ichigo fell asleep in his chair. He looked so drained so instead of bothering him I grabbed the book off the side table and started reading. After about an hour of reading I decided to get some sleep myself. I tossed the book aside. It hit the table with a thud causing Ichigo to sit up.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up." He looked at me, blinked and then rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand. He answered after stretching his arms above his head.

"It's okay." He stood, stretching his legs. "Are you ready to sleep?" I nodded, turning on my side. Ichigo shut the blinds on the window and door, sliding the door until it was closed. He went to both lamps, clicking them off until the room was dark. I closed my eyes.

"Good night, Ichigo." He pushed my blanket aside and climbed into bed. "What are you doing?"

"I don't fit on the cot, it's not long enough." I laughed.

"Byuakuya has slept on that thing for the last two weeks without complaining once and you can't handle it for a night? He's taller than you and he had to share it with Kisa." Ichigo sighed and sat up.

"Fine." I smacked his arm.

"I'm kidding, as long as I have enough room you can sleep here."

"Are you sure?"

"Yup." I turned onto my back and felt Ichigo wrapped his arms around me carefully.

"Thank you." Ichigo turned onto his side and kicked his shoes off, causing them to tumble off the bed and onto the floor. I leaned my head against his shoulder and shut my eyes, drifting to sleep.

-:-

The next day I had my surgery early in the morning. They woke me up and took me into the prep room at 4:30 that morning. The actual surgery began only twenty minutes after that. Just like before I was unconcious for the procedure. When I woke it was only half past seven and Isshin was wheeling me back into my hospital room. I looked around the room, my vision hazy. Isshin smiled down at me.

"You should not be awake yet."

"Why?" I heard Byuakuya ask from somewhere in the room.

"We gave her enough medicine to keep her out for at least another hour or two." He stopped pushing the stretcher I was on and reached over towards my bed. "Ichigo, get up." I turned to see Ichigo stretched out in my hospital bed. Isshin continued to shake his son until he half sat up. "Get up, Rukia's back." Ichigo sat up and slid out of the bed looking as tired as I felt. Isshin walked over to the edge of the stretcher and very carefully scooped me up and laid me on the hospital bed. Ichigo kneeled down and laid his head on the bed next to my hand, closing his eyes. Isshin sighed and started pushing the stretcher back towards the exit. "Rukia go back to sleep if you can okay?" I did my best to nod, my limbs feeling heavy. Byuakuya grabbed my hand acting extremely careful. I smiled over at him.

"They didn't cut open my hand." Byu laughed quietly, looking exhausted. I wasn't sure what time he got there but he was the one to wake me up.

"How are you feeling?"

"I"m fine, just tired."

"You sound it." My smile widened as my eyes slid closed. "Ichigo, get up. It's time for you to get ready for school." I felt Byuakuya reach over me carefully to shake Ichigo's shoulder. "Come on, get up. Your father brought you a new uniform to change into." Ichigo mumbled, not sitting up. I could feel his hair on the back of my hand so I grabbed a strand of it and tugged gently trying to aid Byu in waking him.

"I'm not going." Byuakuya laughed at Ichigo's words.

"Why not?"

"Because." Byu sighed. "I'm too tired. I wouldn't be able to focus on anything." Someone entered my room so I opened my eyes to see Isshin wheeling in some equipment including a new IV. While he was setting everything up he nudged Ichigo.

"Son, get up and get ready for school." Ichigo shook his head. "Yes."

"He says he's not going." I looked up at Isshin as I slurred out the words.

"Why not?"

"He's too tired." Isshin sighed and nudged him again after finishing with my IV.

"If you're going to stay here go sleep on the cot, you're in the way." He turned back to me once Ichigo had gotten off the floor. "Rukia close your eyes and get some rest." I smiled and nodded, pulling the blanket up to my shoulders. My lids slid shut and before I could process another thought I was asleep.

-:-

The next couple of days went by quickly and were pretty uneventful. I healed from the second surgery rapidly and after just four days Isshin let me get out of bed again. Although I was scared of feeling the same pain as the first time, I pushed the doubts away and was ecstatic when I realized I could put most of my weight on my left leg without any the two days following I was able to walk with only the help of my cane and only felt some soreness when moving too much. I started walking over to Michiru's room whenever they let me. There was talk about discharging both of us within the next week which we were both ecstatic about. Despite our recoveries there were no changes in Renji's condition and I heard Dr. Tanaka telling Isshin that his parents would have to "make _the _decision". Renji was a sensitive topic for everyone; none of us brought him up in conversation because we couldn't face the fact that he wasn't getting better. He had been in a coma for almost an entire month without showing any sign of waking up.

Although the doctors were still scared that Michiru would show signs of brain damage or head trauma, she never did. Her bruises were fading; her body was getting stronger and she seemed perfectly healthy. There was nothing wrong with her memory; she remembered every last detail of the accident. I was never worried about any damage to her head until one night when I had a dream about her. In that dream she came to visit me, leading both Hisana and Masaki into my room. Michiru stood next to me making small talk as if my sister and Ichigo's mother weren't even in the room. Everything seemed fine until she stopped midsentece and stared off, her expression going blank. Her eyes glazed over as if she wasn't seeing anything in front of them. She wouldn't respond to my voice and collasped onto the floor, her eyes still wide open. Before anything else could occur in my dream I was shaken awake by Byuakuya.

I didn't tell Michiru or anyone about my dream because I thought there was nothing to it.

Six days after my surgery Grimmjow visited me for the first time. He was extremely apologetic for not showing up sooner and said that he couldn't find any time to come between school and his job. Ichigo was not happy to see him and didn't say a word the majority of the visit. Grimmjow sat on the bed next to me.

"So you're recovering from your second surgery a lot quicker?" I nodded, carefully pulling my legs into Indian Style.

"Yeah, I can walk and I'm only in bed for a few hours a day."

"That's awesome, I'm glad." He smiled. "I bet you were dying being cooped up in bed all day."

"I was." I turned my attention towards the door as Hisagi and Michiru entered the room. "Hey guys." Michiru grinned, eyeing Grimmjow subtly.

"Hi Rukia, Ichigo! Who's this?" Grimmjow turned at the sound of her voice.

"This is Grimmjow, he's a friend from my old school." He held his hand up in greeting. "That's Shuuhei and Michiru."

"Hey, how're you feeling Michiru?"

"I'm great, thanks for asking." She led Hisagi to Byu's chair and sat on the arm, giving him the seat. Once he was situated he casually wrapped his arm around Michiru's waist. I wasn't sure if they were back together or not and they didn't really talk about it with anyone but there were times when they acted as if they _did _pick up their relationship. Michiru rested her left arm on Hisagi's shoulder. For the first time I noticed what Michiru was wearing; she had on a pair of jean shorts and a tanktop rather than pajamas or a hospital gown.

" 'Chiru, why are you dressed?"

"Oh, right, I came here to tell you guys that I'm being discharged today." She smiled happily.

"Really?"

"Mmhm, but don't worry. Isshin said you would be discharged soon, within the next few days." Grimmjow turned from her back to me.

"So will you go back to school soon?" I looked up at him and shrugged.

"I'm not sure. Byu talked with an administrator from the school about my official starting date but that was before we knew I'd be having another surgery."

"Would you rather spend a few days at home getting used to your cane before being thrown back into school?" I thought about it briefly.

"Eh, not really. I just want things to start feeling normal again." Grimmjow's expression shifted, making him look so serious. "What?"

"I just remember you telling me that the first time I visited Hisana in the hospital." I patted his arm, knowing that he was affected by Hisana's death too. Grimmjow smiled and wrapped his arms around me. "I should get going; I have to work in about an hour." I returned the hug quickly and separated, looking up at him.

"Have fun."

"You too. Text me when you get out of here and I'll visit you at home okay?"

"Okay." He leaned over and kissed the top of my head, surprising me. I did everything to avoid Ichigo's gaze, knowing that he would probably be pretty bothered by Grimmjow's actions. Grimmjow stood and said a quick goodbye to Ichigo. Then he turned to Hisagi and Michiru.

"It was nice meeting you guys, I hope you recovery quickly Michiru." She smiled up at him, looking as happy as ever despite the dark bruises still covering her face.

"Thank you, it was very nice to meet y-" She stopped midsentence, catching everyone's attention. Her gaze dropped and she was staring ahead of herself. Hisagi sat up looking worried.

"Michiru? What's wrong? Are you okay?" She didn't answer, she continued to stare off, looking at nothing in particular. "Michiru!" Hisagi shook her carefully. He turned to Ichigo, fear clearly written on his face. Ichigo stood and walked around the bed, stopping when he reached them. I slid off my bed and grabbed Ichigo's arm for balance. "Ichigo go get your dad-" He stopped when Michiru started to blink, her eyes refocusing. She looked around at us with confusion on her face.

"What are you guys doing?" Her eyes went to the door and her eyebrows furrowed. "Why are we in Rukia's room? I thought we were going to get something for lunch." She turned to Hisagi for answers.

"Lunch? Michiru it's almost six in the afternoon." She rubbed her forehead, looking perplexed.

"That can't be right, I don't...I don't remember eating or..." She looked up at me. "I don't remember coming in here."

"What's the last thing you do remember?" Ichigo kneeled down in front of her, pulling his arm away without realizing it. Grimmjow noticed me struggle for balance and grabbed my arm. I turned back to Michiru.

"I remember sitting in bed and Hisagi said that we should go downstairs and grab something to eat and then..." She shook her head. "I have no idea what happened after that." Ichigo stood and turned, nearly running into Grimmjow. Grimmjow stepped back, letting him pass and without a word Ichigo left. "Where's he going?" Michiru had started to cry, tears running down her face.

"Sh, 'Chiru why are you crying?" Hisagi wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm scared!" She pushed him away and stood, covering her face in her hands.

"Both of you calm down, you're going to be okay." Michiru looked up at me, wiping her eyes. "Just don't freak yourselves out by thinking the worst." She nodded and took a deep breath, noticing Grimmjow.

"Who're you?"

"Grimmjow, Rukia's friend." She tried to put on a smile.

"It's nice to meet you." Hisagi stood and rested his hand on Michiru's shoulder.

"You've already met him." She frowned.

"I'm so sorry." Grimmjow laughed it off.

"Don't be, it's not everyday I get two chance to make a first impression." Michiru laughed, looking sincerely happy.

"I guess that's true." Dr. Tanaka stuck his head in the door and asked Michiru to follow him. She excused herself and left, followed by Hisagi. I turned to Grimmjow, now clutching onto his arm.

"You should probably go; you don't wanna be late for work." He nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I hope everything is okay with your friend. Well, friends, that Renji guy is still in a coma right?" I sighed at the thought of Renji.

"Yeah." Grimmjow leaned over and hugged me, wrapping his arms around me tightly.

"Feel better, Ruk."

"Thanks." I returned the gesture, more comfortable hugging him now that Ichigo wasn't here to stare me down. Grimmjow sighed, not letting me go.

"You know I miss you like crazy, right?" I laughed and pulled back, looking up at him.

"How many times do I have to apologize for moving?" He smiled and shook his head.

"You know I understand why you guys left, it just sucks that you did." His hand cupped my elbow, again offering balance. "You're one of my best friends, it sucks not seeing you everyday."

"Then you'll just have to make more of an effort to see me." I smiled teasingly.

"And you can't make an effort because? Besides Ichigo obviously hates me."

"No he doesn't."

"Rukia, did you see the expression on his face when I got here? You'd think I was his worst enemy." He waved off the conversation. "We'll both make more of an effort, agreed?"

"Agreed." A smile returned to his face and he leaned down, kissing me on the cheek.

"Good." He carefully let go of me, making sure I had a good grip on my bedframe before stepping back. "Don't forget to text me when you get home and let me know how you're friends are."

"I will, bye Grimmjow." He waved and turned, heading out the door as Ichigo came in. He gave Grimmjow a cold look as they passed. I rolled my eyes and started climbing back into bed.

"What the hell was that, Rukia?" I turned to him, confused.

"What are you talking about?"

"Why does he think it's appropriate to kiss you?" His glare deepened letting me know that he was pissed. "He doesn't know what boundaries are."

"He kissed my head! You know how many people have touched my head in the last month? A lot. He was being sympathetic, it's not a big deal." I folded my arms, annoyed with his attitude.

"He kissed your cheek too. It doesn't matter, I don't want him to touch you. And the next time he comes around, let me know in advance so I don't have to be there."

"Ichigo, you're overreacting. You're really telling me that you can't make an effort to get along with _one_ of my friends? My only other friends are your friends." Ichigo shook his head.

"I'll make an effort, just not with him. I don't like him."

"Well he was my only real friend outside of this group." Byuakuya walked in, holding a cup of coffee. I didn't want to talk about this sort of thing in front of my brother so I decided to end the conversation. "I'm done talking about it, just leave me alone." Byu froze and glanced over at Ichigo, looking uncomfortable.

"Should I leave?" I shook my head and leaned back against the adjustable frame of my hospital bed, getting more comfortable. Ichigo sighed and left. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah, he's just...being stupid." Byu smiled and sat in his chair.

"About?"

"Grimmjow." His eyebrows rose as if he understood completely.

"Ah."

"What? That's all the explanation you need?" Byuakuya laughed and shrugged.

"Kinda, I mean that kid has had a crush on you for the last three years."

"What? No he hasn't. What are you talking about?"

"Yes he has, you just chose not to realize it because he was always just a friend to you." Byu leaned back in his chair, stretching his legs out. "That's why I never worried about you spending so much time with Grimmjow." I smiled.

"You wouldn't approve of Grimmjow?" He thought it over before shrugging.

"There's nothing wrong with him, he's a really nice kid who's always kind of fit in our family but in the back of my mind I always thought that he was just trying to use you."

"You don't worry about that with Ichigo?" He shook his head.

"No. Well, at first I didn't like him. He just...openly flirted with you and I thought that was pretty brave of him. But I've talked with his father and I've heard your friends talk about how different he is with you and I guess I believe it." My smile widened.

"You guess?"

"No, I believe it. He obviously respects you and I trust him." After a short pause I turned to Byu.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Of course." I shifted my gaze down towards my blanket as guilt rushed through me.

"Did I put a strain on your relationship with Hisana?"

"W-what? No, of course not, why would you ask that?" I shrugged.

"I've been thinking about it a lot lately. I mean, you guys barely had any time to enjoy being married before I showed up and I know Hisana would never take no for an answer when it came to me living with you guys."

"Rukia, we were married for nearly two years before you could live with us. Besides, it's not like I had a problem with it. I missed you just as much as Hisana did and honestly I thought of it as becoming a parent." He sat his coffee on the bedside table and straightened up in his chair. "You mean the world to me, Rukia. I wouldn't trade you for anything or anyone." I smiled up at him feeling reassured.

"I'm sorry Byuakuya."

"For what?"

"For getting so mad at you when Hisana died." His expression shifted and I could tell he didn't want to talk about it. "You did what you thought was best and the last thing you needed was for me to yell at you for it." He leaned forward and hugged me. I returned the gesture, laying my head on his shoulder momentarily. The silence following our embrace told me that the conversation was over; it was a difficult one to have, especially while in the building Hisana had died in. Once we separated I grabbed my cane and slid out of bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to see if they knew anything about Michiru. Did someone tell you about her weird black out?" He nodded.

"They are doing a ton of tests on her; it'll probably take all afternoon." I frowned.

"Well, I need to walk around for awhile." 

"Do you want me to come with you?" I shook my head.

"No, I'll be fine."

"If you're sure you don't need me, I think I'm going to head home. I need to shower and get some work done. Besides I don't like leaving Kon and Kisa alone." I laughed.

"Why?" He shrugged.

"I don't trust him as much." I tried to keep my face neutral, knowing that Byu had every reason to feel that way. "I'll be here to pick you up tomorrow morning." I snapped my head in his direction.

"I'm leaving tomorrow?"

"...Yes, no one told you?"

"No." He smiled.

"Well, you go home tomorrow morning and start school on Monday."

"What's today?"

"Friday." I nodded, a little bummed that it was the weekend. That meant sitting around the house for two days. Byuakuya leaned over and hugged me again. "I'll see you tomorrow, make sure you get everything together before I sign you out."

"I will. Bye, love you."

"Love you too." He grabbed his coffee and keys before heading towards the door. Once he was gone I turned off my lamp and headed towards the elevator. With Michiru having tests done and Ichigo off fuming, I figured I'd go see Renji. When I reached his room I found it empty, aside from Renji's motionless body. His parents probably needed a break from stewing in his room. They spent every minute outside of work at the hospital, hoping he'd wake up. I wondered how long they had to make a decision about his life support. I made my way to Renji's side and lightly grabbed his hand. It was freezing cold and he looked paler than the last time I visited.

"Please wake up Renji, if you don't they could take you off life support." I frowned down at him missing him more than ever. "We don't want to lose you. We-" Something caught my attention in the corner of my eye. I looked down at the floor and saw a crumpled up piece of paper. With some effort I leaned over and picked it up with my free hand. After unfolding it and smoothing it out I realized that it was a note from Shenji to Ren. Despite the fact that I knew it was private I couldn't keep myself from reading it. In Shenji's slightly sloppy handwriting it said:

_Ren,_

_went out to grab us something for breakfast. I should be back soon._

_I know it's something we haven't talked about but maybe we should consider cutting Renji's life support. He's in pain, he doesn't deserve this. What if he wakes up with so much brain damage he can't even function? I can't watch my son live like that and we can't sit in that hospital any longer watching as he doesn't recover. I can't even stand to see Michiru and Rukia; it's not fair._

_I dunno what we're going to do but we need to talk._

_No matter what, I love you._

_Shenj_

I wadded up the paper and threw it back on the ground. I couldn't contain the tears once I realized what they were considering. My grip tightened on Renji's hand as I let out a few sobs.

"Please come back to me, Renji. Please just come back for all of us; we need you to wake up-"

"Rukia?" I looked up to find Ichigo. "Are you okay?" He didn't step into the room, just stood in the doorway. Out of all of us, Ichigo was one of the most sensitive when it came to Renji. As far as I knew he only visited him twice before. I nodded in response to his question.

"I just..." I sighed, unable to voice my thoughts. "I'm fine." I rested my head on Renji's arm carefully as I continued to cry quietly. Ichigo stayed silent and I didn't hear him move into the room. After sitting up, rubbing my eyes and taking a deep breath, I pushed away from his bed and stood. "I'm sort of hungry, wanna head down to the cafe-" I froze. Renji moved. I waited a moment. Renji shifted again, turning his head. His eyes slid open and focused. "Renji?" He turned at the sound of my voice.

"Rukia?" I looked at Ichigo, shock all over my face.

-:-

**DONE! Chapter 20 is complete! Again I'm sorry but life is complicated. What more can I say?**

**Please review! I hope you all enjoyed!**

**I promise I'll do my best to update soon!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Okay, I'm going to continue because tonight I'm on a ball and I have an easy part to pick up from. I hope you all enjoyed chapter 20, sort of a milestone, and reviewed! On with chapter 21! If my thinking is right, there are only going to be about five more chapters before it's over :(**

-:-

"Rukia?" Renji's voice was muffled due to the weird tubed machine that seemed to dominate his mouth, throat, and lungs. I turned to Ichigo, unsure of what to do. After a few moments of staring Ichigo snapped out of it.

"I'll go get my dad."

"Hurry." He nodded and practically ran for the elevator. I turned back to Renji, a smile spreading over my face. He mumbled something incoherent. "Sh, Isshin and Dr. Tanaka should be here soon okay?" No response. At first I panicked wondering if he could hear me but soon I realized I told him not to talk. "Are you in a lot of pain?" He nodded which worried me. I wasn't sure what to say to him, he couldn't really carry on a conversation and I didn't know any of the medical diagnosis behind his aches and pains. By the time I was done stressing over what to say Isshin and Dr. Tanaka ran in with a few nurses who practically pushed me out of the room. They didn't bother giving me my cane until I asked for it. Ichigo, who was standing right outside the door, witnessed this and came to my aid at once.

"You okay?" I nodded, glad to have my cane back.

"I'm fine, thanks."

"Is he really awake? Did he talk to you?"

"Yeah, you didn't hear him?" He shook his head. "He recognized me by my voice, I'd say that's a fucking good sign."

"Why were you crying?" I looked up at him.

"I found this note Shenji wrote to Ren and he talked about taking Renji off life support."

"...Wow." I nodded. "Talk about good timing." Two of the nurses rushed out of the room but soon returned with some equipment I didn't recognize.

"What are they doing?"

"They're getting rid of the machine."

"Aren't they worried he might relapse or something? What if something happens and he needs it again?" Ichigo shook his head.

"That's pretty rare with coma patients but if my dad has any say in their decisions it'll stay in his room for that sole purpose." He must have taken my silence as doubt because he continued to try to reassure me. "Don't worry, they know what they're doing." I nodded and leaned some of my weight against him. Despite the hour long visit with Grimmjow, I had been out of bed the majority of the day and my hip was extremely sore.

"Do you know where his parents are?"

"I think in the cafeteria."

"Do you want to deliver the good news?" Ichigo smiled down at me and nodded.

"If you're up for it."

"I am." I tightened my grip on my cane and started for the elevator. After pressing the button I made a decision not to go. "Nevermind, I'm just going to slow you down. Go ahead without me, I'll wait up here." Ichigo looked down at me with a concerned expression.

"Are you sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I just don't want them to feel the need to wait for me to crawl back up here. I don't want to keep them from their son."

"Okay...I'll be right back. Go sit down while you're waiting, okay?"

"Okay." He got on the elevator and I took a seat on the bench. After only a few minutes Ren and Shenji were rushing out of the elevator doors followed by Ichigo. A few minutes after that Hisagi made his way to Renji's door, waiting with the rest of us. I asked him how Michiru was and he said she was about to get another cat scan. Shenji turned to Hisagi.

"Shuuhei, she's terrified of that machine, you should go be with her." He shook his head.

"Her father's there. She understands." Shenji nodded, absently grabbing his wife's hand. After a few more minutes of waiting the nurses left the room and Isshin ushered us all in. Ichigo, Hisagi, and I stood back letting Renji's parents talk to him for the first time in nearly a month. Ren started crying almost immediately. I sat as they talked, the pain in my hip intensifying slightly. After Shenji and Isshin explained to him about what happened Renji laid there quietly. Ren looked at Isshin with a worried expression. Renji started looking around the room.

"Where's Rukia? Is she still here?" Isshin turned towards me, gesturing for me to go over to the bed. I grabbed Ichigo's arm and hoisted myself up, feeling ridiculously old.

"Rukia's right here." There was a moment of silence as I made my way to the bed. "She'll get here eventually." Isshin smiled down at me teasingly. I laughed.

"Shut up." I finally reached Isshin's side and smiled down at Renji. "Hey."

"What happened to you? Are you okay?"

"Renji, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." His eyebrows turned down.

"I'm so sorry, I can't believe I let this happen-"

"Stop, it wasn't your fault." He tried to argue but I cut him off again. "Renji, the guys in the other car couldn't stop swerving, there is not way you could've avoided them so stop blaming yourself." He nodded slowly, staring up at the ceiling.

"How're the other two?" My chest tightened; I did not want to tell him about Ikkaku's death.

"Michiru had a lot of injuries and she was in a coma for about a week but she's doing a lot better. She had some weird black out today and just forgot a few hours as if they never happened but she's being tested for that now." Renji's face held a lot of guilt.

"What about Ikkaku?"

"...He..." Renji turned his gaze to me, a look of disbelief now residing on his face. "Ikkaku died from the impact." His eyes went back to the ceiling and after a few moments of silence he covered his face with his hands.

"I'm so sorry, I never meant for this to happen." I blinked away tears and pulled his hands away form his face, noticing Renji's own tears he was fighting with. Despite the pain now residing in my hip I leaned over and carefully hugged him, trying not to put too much weight on him.

"Renji, stop." He hugged me back tightly, not helping the pain. His chest rose as he inhaled deeply, getting control of himself. "It's not your fault, okay?" I stood once I knew that he had calmed down. Ren reached over, pushing her son's hair out of his face. Renji looked over at his parents who looked overjoyed. Shenji rested his hand on Renji's.

"You are never driving ever again." Renji laughed before turning to Isshin.

"Can I sit up?" Isshin glanced over at Dr. Tanaka.

"Let's wait a little while okay? If you're still experiencing pain you should take it easy." He nodded. Ichigo and Hisagi finally approached the bed, no longer waiting for an invitation. Renji's attention went to them and his expression shifted immediately, making him look angry.

"What is he doing here?" I turned back, glancing up at Hisagi. Shuuhei looked shocked.

"Renji, that's no way to talk to your friend. We've all been worried about you, including Hisagi."

"I don't want him here." For a second I thought Sagi was going to go off on him but instead he took a deep breath, let out a sigh and stepped back.

"Fine." He turned to Ichigo. "I'm going to check in with Fujita, see if they've found anything." I grabbed Hisagi's sleeve.

"I'll go with you." He nodded. I turned back to Renji who was frowning at me.

"You're leaving?" I smiled.

"I'll be back, I just want to see how Michiru's doing. Once her tests are done I'll bring her up here." He nodded. I turned and followed Hisagi towards the exit, moving even slower than before. He noticed and slowed his pace. "I'm sorry, I didn't come to make you wait on me." He smiled sympathetically.

"Don't worry about it." We got on the elevator and I pushed the button for the ninth floor.

"So..." Hisagi looked down at me and cocked an eyebrow.

"So?"

"Are you and Michiru back together?" He laughed, scratching the back of his neck.

"How did I know you were going to bring that up?" My face fell.

"You don't have to talk about it, I was just curious." He shook his head.

"No it's fine." A pause filled the air between us as he thought about how to voice his answer. "We're not together but...we're kind of starting over."

"How so?"

"Well, Michiru's still obviously hurt about the whole thing and even if she won't admit it, she's scared to trust me." He sighed. "We didn't really decide on anything we just sort of picked up where we left off except now there are more boundaries." I nodded.

"That sounds pretty complicated."

"Kind of, but I'm happy with it. I'm just glad she's alive and talking to me." I smiled, patting his arm.

"I'm glad you're happy." We finally reached the ninth floor and Hisagi led me towards Fujita who was now sitting in the small waiting room.

"Hey Fujita, is everything okay?" Mr. Ogawa looked up at the sound of Shuuhei's voice.

"Yes, I just had to wait out here while she gets changed back into her clothes."

"When will they know the results of her tests?" Fujita ran a hand through his hair absently.

"Tomorrow at the earliest. They're keeping her here for another few days." Hisagi's eyebrows turned down.

"What?" 

"Has she had anymore issues with her memory?" Mr. Ogawa looked over at me and shook his head.

"No." I sat next to him, relieved to get off my feet. "How're you feeling Rukia?" I stretched out my legs and sat my cane aside.

"I'm feeling a lot better, thanks for asking."

"I'm glad, I just wish all you kids could go home." He rested his head in his hands. "This is no way to live." Hisagi stepped in fron of us.

"Did you hear about Renji?" Fujita looked up at us and shook his head.

"No, what about him?"

"He woke up." Mr. Ogawa froze momentarily.

"Did he really?" Hisagi nodded, smiling at his reaction. "Is he okay?"

"He seems okay; he remembered the accident and could recognize everyone. After all this with Michiru they'll probably be a little more paranoid about head trauma."

"That's reasonable." Michiru was ushered through one of the hallways by a nurse until she was standing in front of her father. "Hey Sweety, how are you feeling?" She smiled.

"I'm fine." She looked up at Hisagi, looking less enthused. "I have to stay for a few more days." He grabbed her hand.

"I know, I'm sorry." The nurse turned to Mr. Ogawa.

"We'll have the results back to you as soon as possible." He nodded.

"Thank you very much." The nurse turned and headed back towards the hallway, leaving without another word. Michiru leaned her weight against Hisagi, looking exhausted. Hisagi pushed some hair our of her face.

"Do you want some awesome news?" She looked up at him, not looking very hopeful.

"Sure, do you have any?" He laughed and nodded.

"Renji woke up." Her head snapped up and she stepped back from Shuuhei.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course I am."

"Is he okay?"

"Yeah, his memory is fine, he's just still in a lot of pain." She nodded.

"Let's go see him." Hisagi shook his head.

"You guys go ahead, I think I'm going to call my mom, let my parents know what's going on."

"Why? You can't do that later? He just woke up." I pushed myself out of my seat and answered for Hisagi.

"Renji doesn't want Sagi there." Her eyebrows turned down.

"Why wouldn't he want you there?"

"He's still pissed at me." She still didn't look convinced. "Just go, take Rukia and your dad to go see him. When I'm done I'll be in your room, okay?" She hesitantly nodded before offering her dad her hand. She helped him to his feet and turned to me. We moved in silence but Michiru moved quickly, pulling her dad by the hand. I lagged behind feeling frustrated but they held the elevator for me and we headed back towards the ICU. Once we reached his room I sat down on the cot Renji's parents had been residing in for the last month. I had no intention of getting up, my hip was practically on fire. Ichigo noticed us and stepped back, giving 'Chiru and Fujita a chance to see him. Ichigo sat next to me, leaning back in silence. Michiru leaned over and hugged Renji tightly before he even noticed her there.

"Renji, thank God you're awake!" Renji looked at Isshin, cocking an eyebrow.

"Who _are_ you?" Michiru stiffened and pulled away, a frown on her face.

"...I'm Michiru..." I felt a confused expression fall over my own face, panic rose up in me. After another moment of staring at her blankly, without recognition, he smiled and laughed.

"I'm just kidding." Her eyes widened as anger found it's way to her face. She hit his arm.

"Don't even joke about that!"

"Ow." Isshin sighed looking frustrated.

"Renji, please don't joke about that." He nodded, still smiling.

"I'm done, sorry." He grabbed Michiru's arm and pulled her into another hug. She rested her head on his shoulder and started crying. "Are you okay, Michiru?" She nodded, not voicing an answer. "Do they know what happened earlier?"

"No, they'll have my test results by tomorrow or the next day." She stood, wiping her eyes. Renji eyed her cast. Before they could continue their conversation Isshin spoke up.

"Renji should really get something to eat and try to rest." Michiru nodded, squeezing Renji's hand before stepping back. Fujita told Renji to feel better, carefully patting his shoulder. Isshin turned to 'Chiru and I. "You two should probably go back to your rooms and get some rest too."

"When can we come back and see Renji?" Isshin smiled at Michiru's question.

"Tomorrow after all of you get some rest." I stood, grabbing onto Ichigo's arm for support. I said my goodbyes to everyone before heading for the elevator, not waiting for Ichigo although he did follow. Once in the elevator I leaned against the wall, gaining Ichigo's attention.

"You okay?"

"Yup."

"You look exhausted." I nodded.

"I am." Ichigo sighed, sounding agrivated.

"Look, I'm sorry Rukia about earlier."

"For what?" He narrowed his eyes, fighting a smile.

"For getting mad at you for something someone else did, it's not your fault that Grimmjow acted the way he did." I smiled. "Will you stop acting mad at me now?" I furrowed my eyebrows.

"I haven't been acting mad at you."

"You haven't been acting very happy with me either."

"That's because I wasn't very happy with you." He smiled as the elevator door opened. I pushed myself off the wall and headed towards my room. I turned to say something to Ichigo but before I knew what he was doing he scooped me up bridal style. After nearly dropping my cane I looked up at him. "What are you doing?"

"I noticed you earlier limping around in pain."

"That doesn't mean I can't walk." He shrugged and made it to my room in less than twenty paces. After pushing open the door and flicking on a light, Ichigo laid me in my bed and took my cane from me. I pulled my blankets up to my shoulders and relaxed. Ichigo sat in his usual chair and looked down at me.

"Do you want to eat something before you sleep?" I shook my head in response. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." There was a short silence as I stared up at the ceiling. "Are you excited to go home tomorrow."

"Hell yes, the first thing I'm going to do is take a nap in my bed." Ichigo laughed, leaning his elbow on the side of the bed.

"You're going home in the morning." I shrugged.

"I miss my bed. Besides it's not like there's much more I can do than sit around all day."

"Is that what you're worried about? Being bored?"

"Yes." He pushed my bangs out of my face absently.

"I promise I won't let you get bored; I will find things you can do." I held my hand up, pinky out.

"Pinky promise." He latched fingers, his smile growing.

"Pinky promise." I pulled my hand away, satisfied. "I love you, Rukia."

"I love you too." Arms outstretched, I reached for a hug. He smiled, stood, and leaned over to wrap his arms around me carefully. I kissed his cheek before he stood. "Can you please turn the light off? I'm ready to sleep."

"Sure." He glanced across the room instead of moving towards the light. "Do I have to sleep in the cot?" I rolled my eyes, a small grin still on my face.

"No, just hurry up." He nodded, walked over to the light and turned it off. I scooted towards the edge of the bed, making room as Ichigo shut the door to rid any further light. His feet shuffled on the floor and I heard him kick off his shoes before pushing the blankets back and crawling into the bed next to me. He turned on his side and got situated. My lids slid shut as Ichigo laid his head on my shoulder.

"Are you nervous to go back to school?"

"Hm? No, I'm just glad the school was willing to work something out with all of us. Why would I be nervous?"

"I just thought you'd hate the idea of taking your cane with you to school." I shook my head.

"At first I hated the idea of having the thing at all but I told myself it could be way worse." He nodded, wrapping his arms lightly around my left arm. "As much as I'd rather not depend on it, I know I have no other choice so I've learned to cherish it." I smiled slightly at the words that came out of my mouth.

"That's really mature of you." I shrugged slightly. "Goodnight, Rukia, love you."

"Night, love you too." I rested my head against his and started drifting off to sleep. Within minutes I was out.

-:-

The next day I woke to the sound of my cell phone going off. I stretched out my arm and after reaching I was able to grab it and answer the call. Byuakuya greeted me but I told him to hold on. Ichigo had turned over in his sleep, putting all his weight on the left side of my body. I nudged him roughly.

"Ichigo, get off me." He sat up quickly because of the urgency in my voice and I winced, rubbing my hip. He scooted farther away to give me room but lost his balance and fell off the bed, landing on his back. "Oh my god, are you okay?" I peered over the edge of the bed to find him staring up at me looking confused.

"What the hell just happened?" I laughed and explained it to him as he pushed himself off the floor.

"Are you okay?" He nodded as he crawled back into bed, laying down on his stomach and burrying his face in the pillow. I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Byu. "Sorry, I got distracted, what's up?"

"Everything okay over there?" I laughed under my breath.

"Yeah, we're fine."

"I'm just calling to let you know that I'll be over there in about half an hour so get up and get your stuff around. You should grab something for breakfast if you have time; if not I can fix you something once you're home."

"Okay, I'll get ready."

"Is Ichigo's truck still there?"

"Um...I dunno, hold on." I turned to Ichigo and shook his shoulder. "Hey is your truck here?"

"No, Kon took it home Thursday and Byu gave me a ride here yesterday."

"Ichigo says it's at home, why?" I asked, my words now directed towards Byuakuya.

"I just figured he would come home with us and didn't know if I needed to make room for both of you or not." My eyes went back to Ichigo who was now at least capable of keeping his eyes open.

"Ichigo, are you coming home with us?"

"Yup." I smiled at his bluntness and nodded.

"Okay, well, we'll be ready when you get here. Do you think I'll have time to go see Renji before we leave."

"I suppose, if you get your stuff together quickly." I shoved Ichigo's shoulder.

"Get my stuff, put it all in my duffle bag." He nodded, pushed himself off the bed and started collecting my things. "Thanks. Oh, Byu, I forgot to tell you that Renji woke up yesterday!"

"He did? That's wonderful."

"Yeah, you should come inside and visit him before we go home." I heard papers being ruffled in the background and I figured he was in his office.

"Okay, I will. I'll see you soon."

" 'Kay, bye love you."

"Love you too." I clicked the 'call end' button and sat my phone down. With the help of Ichigo all my belongings were put in the duffle bag and the clothes Byu had brought for me to go home in were laying out. I quickly made the hospital bed even though I knew they'd change the coverings. Byu had packed jean shorts for me which sort of scared me. I had worn nothing but buttoms with elastic waits for the last month and I was scared the constricting waist of the jeans would hurt. Ichigo had to help me change because I couldn't keep my balance long enough to step into the shorts. They were surprisingly comfortable and didn't cause any discomfort. After I finished changing, by myself, Ichigo grabbed the sweats I had just changed out of, stuck them in the bag and then held out my cane. We went to the cafeteria, ate a quick breakfast, and went to Renji's room. I was surprised to find Mina there. She could barely stand the sight of Renji all bruised up and only visited him three times while he was in his coma. After talking for a few minutes Byuakuya showed up and talked with Renji, looking genuinely excited about Renji's recovery. Once Byu and Renji ended their conversation we decided to go see Michiru one more time and visited with her. Ichigo made her promise to keep us up to date with her condition and also promised her to visit her at home before school on Monday. After we said our goodbyes to those two we headed downstairs where Byuakuya signed me out and we headed for the doors.

As we walked towards the car I started feeling nervous. The closer we got to the car the worse I felt. When Byu's black car came into view it hit me that I was simply scared to get in, to be in a moving vehicle. Ichigo threw my duffle bag in the back seat and held the door open for me. At first I just stared at the seat but I didn't want to raise any suspicion so I got in and buckled up. Ichigo shut my door and walked around to the passenger side while Byu slid in his own seat. He started the engine and buckled. Of all the people driving me home I was gald it was Byuakuya, the safest driver I've ever met. That feeling of nervousness continued to build; it was nearly panic once we got on the road. I couldn't watch my surroundings or even straight ahead. Ichigo glanced back at me, his eyebrows furrowed.

"What's wrong Ruk?" I shook my head, resting the weight of it in my hands.

"Nothing."

"Are you feeling okay?" The car slowed down before stopping at a red light.

"I'm fine." Byu turned to Ichigo.

"What's she doing?"

"She just looks sick, her face is really pale." Byuakuya glanced in the rearview mirror before turning his attention back to the road. The car started moving again but soon jerked on the brakes, not drastically but enough to scare me. I glanced up at Ichigo as understanding flooded his face. "She's scared of the car."

"Oh..." Byu met my eyes in the mirror again. "We'll be home in less than ten minutes, okay?"

"I know." I tried to keep the attitude out of my voice but they frustrated me. I covered my face with my hands and simply tried not to think about it. Before I knew it we were home and I gladly hopped out of the car, grabbing my cane. Ichigo grabbed my duffle bag and followed me to the door, a step behind me. The door was unlocked and when I entered the living room I realized why; Kisa had woken up. She sat on the couch still looking drowsy with a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Her hair was disheveled and in front of her the mail was sprawled out on the coffee table. She glanced over at us curiously but didn't say a word.

"Hey Kisa."

"Hey." Byu walked into the house and greeted her before taking a seat on the couch next to her. He noted the mail and started looking through it. Once he was finished with it he turned his attention back to Ichigo and I.

"Did you two have the time to eat?"

"Yeah, we grabbed something in the cafeteria." Byu nodded and turned to Kisa.

"Are you hungry?" She shook her head, staring ahead of herself. Byuakuya tugged on a piece of her hair that had been sticking up, laying it in place. Her hair had grown at a rapid rate since she got it chopped off only two months ago; it now rested a few inches below her shoulders rather than brushing the tops of them. It also started to regain it's curly structure. When it was short her curls all but disappeared, making her hair lay straight but now the spiral like shape of her hair was starting to redefine itself. Needless to say, I was jealous of her. Smiling at the thought I made my way to the couch and sat on the arm closest to her.

"You need to wake up." She shook her head, not meeting my gaze. "Did you sleep okay last night?" I asked, now a little worried.

"Yeah." She looked up at me, her eyes now focused. "Did _you?_" I smiled at her question and nodded.

"Yes I did."

"What're you gonna do now that you're home?"

"Well, I thought I'd take a nap but I'm not that tired..." I turned to Ichigo expectantly. He blinked.

"What?"

"You said you'd find something for me to do; I'm bored, what can I do?" He smiled.

"You're bored already?" I nodded, folding my arms. He thought about it, glanced at Kisa, and then turned back to me. "Okay, I've got an idea. Get up."

"What is it?" He shook his head and turned to Byu.

"I'm gonna take her to my dad's clinic, is that okay?"

"That's fine." I sighed.

"What are we doing?" Still Ichigo ignored me and turned to Kisa.

"Do you want to come?"

"To do what?" He leaned over and whispered something in her ear. She made a face. "No thanks." Ichigo laughed and nudged her.

"Come on, what else do you have to do?" She didn't answer. "Please, Kisa? We'll probably need your help."

"...Fine." He smiled and pulled her to her feet.

"Awesome, go get ready." She nodded and headed towards the stairs, shuffling up them in silence.

"What are we doing?"

"It's a surprise." I made the decision to be a good sport about it and nodded.

"Am I going to like it?"

"I hope so." While we waited for Kisa, Ichigo pulled out his phone and called Kon. He asked how it was in the clinic and let him know that we were heading over soon.

"Are we just helping out in your dad's clinic because I honestly don't feel like being around a bunch of sick people." Ichigo laughed and shook his head.

"You'll see." Kisa came down the stairs wearing shorts and a tshirt. She had pulled her hair into a sleek and slightly curly ponytail. "Ready?" She nodded and stopped at his side. I grabbed my cane and pushed myself off the couch. Byu turned to Ichigo.

"How has your dad been managing his work while being at the hospital so much?"

"He hired some temporary help and Kon and I have been doing most of the paperwork." Byuakuya nodded and pushed himself off the couch.

"Well, have fun. Don't tire Rukia out too much."

"I won't, bye Byu."

"Bye." I walked around my brother after saying goodbye and followed Ichigo and Kisa, grabbing my keys on the way out. Once we reached my car I tossed the keys to Ichigo and told Kisa she could sit in the front seat. She glanced at me curiously but did so without a word. I slid in the seat behind Kisa and buckled up, feeling slightly nervous again. Ichigo got in the car and started the engine, glancing back at me.

"You okay?"

"Yes." He laughed quietly at my snippy response but didn't say anymore. He pulled out of the driveway and headed towards his house. I rested my head on the back of Kisa's seat and closed my eyes. Ichigo kept a comfortable conversation going with Kisa the whole way there, chatting about school, specifically math class. I did my best to focus on what they were saying which successfully made the drive shorter. Ichigo parked the car behind his truck and we all got out. I noticed quite a few cars parked near the side of the house where the clinic was. My attention was caught by a sign in the yard reading: **Kids Day: Flu Shots Available Here**. I turned to Ichigo and narrowed my eyes.

"You brought me to a place full of kids?" He smiled as Kisa made her way towards the house, not waiting on us. We walked around the car, meeting at the front. "Why? I told you I hate children."

"I thought they could brighten your mood a little."

"What are we doing here?"

"We're going to give these kids flu shots. Or keep them company while they wait." I sighed and continued through the front door.

"You just ruined my day." Kon greeted us in the living room, standing next to a strange man in a doctor's coat.

"Hey guys!" Ichigo smiled and held up his hand in a wave.

"Hey Kon, Dr. Hara." The man nodded, looking happy to have volunteers. "Is Dad home?"

"Yeah, he said he's going to be here for a few hours but Dr. Tanaka needs him back at the hospital later this afternoon." Kon absently rested his arm around Kisa's shoulders as he spoke. Dr. Hara turned to Ichigo and I.

"Are you guys ready?" Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be there in a minute. I'm going to change out of these sweats." Ichigo headed up the stairs and Dr. Hara led us to the clinic. The small waiting area that I had never seen used before was crammed with mother's and children. The ages of the kids ranged from infants to kids as old as six or seven years. Some toddlers were playing on the floor, keeping each other company as one of the babies cried into it's mother's shoulder. The doctor gave the mother's a friendly smile and reassured them that there wait was almost over. We then continued into the other room where all eight cots were occupied by women and their children. There was another doctor working his way from one kid to the next. On the other side Yuzu and Karin were standing by one of the cots. Karin gave the toddler occupying the bed her shot and Yuzu held her attention. The small girl didn't even know she had gotten a shot. The toddler's gaze turned towards us, her expression full of excitement.

"Kon! Come here, come here." She waved him over causing him to step away from Kisa and head her way. "I'm done, can you play with me now?" She held out her arms until he picked her up.

"What? I already played with you, Kameko. Besides, I think your mom is ready to go." The girl frowned and hugged onto his neck tightly. Kon smiled and squeezed her back before sitting her on the ground. He kneeled down and continued to talk to her. "You did awesome today." He held up his hand and the little girl smiled before holding up her own; they fist bumped and Kon stood. "I'll see you next time, okay?" She nodded and waved enthusiastically. Kon said goodbye to Kameko's mother and followed Dr. Hara to another cot.

"Do either of you girls object to giving the kids shots?" Kisa and I shook our heads.

"I don't think you want Kisa playing with the kids, she probably wouldn't say a word." Dr. Hara smiled at Kon's words, obviously amused. Kisa nodded in agreement. "Since Isshin's here and we have so much help, Kisa and I can give shots. Ichigo and Rukia can play with the kids waiting, that way Rukia's not standing for so long." The doctor nodded.

"That sounds like a plan." Ichigo and Isshin walked up to us as Dr. Hara filled them in with Kon's decision. Isshin took Kon and Kisa aside and demonstrated how to properly give a shot and Ichigo led me back to the waiting room. He sat on the floor and started up a conversation with the closest kid. I slowly kneeled down, resting on my knees and getting the little boy's attention. He stopped what he was saying mid-sentence and stared up at me. I froze, unsure of what to do, and blinked. Without a word he turned back to Ichigo and continued to talk. Ichigo smiled at me before asking the kid for his name.

"Kyan." The boy looked like a toddler but spoke clearly; I figured he was about five but then again what do I know about kids.

"Hi Kyan, I'm Ichigo and this is Rukia." He nodded and glanced up at me again. In his hands he held a small car, rolling it over the hardwood floor absently. "How old are you?"

"Six, how old are you?" Ichigo laughed, smiling down at him. Kyan simply stared back, a serious expression on his face.

"I'm eighteen."

"Oh." Kyan sat the toy car down and continued. "Is Rukia your little sister?" Ichigo contained his laughter, only smiling at me before answering.

"No, she's my girlfriend." A surprised expression fell on his face.

"How old is Rukia?"

"Eighteen, why do you ask?"

"She's too small to be that old." He turned to me. "Are you really that old?" I nodded, a small smile forming on my face.

"Yup." I glanced at the door as three more women escorted their kids in. A woman approached us and kneeled down next to Kyan.

"Sorry to interupt, Sweety but it's your turn." She helped her son up. "Say goodbye." He waved and followed his mother towards Isshin's open cot. I turned to Ichigo who was laughing into his hands. I smacked him.

"What is so funny?"

"Even children know there's something wrong with you." He continued to laugh, elbowing me. I pulled away and folded my arms. After catching his breath he smiled down at me. "You have to admit that's pretty funny." I shook my head. Again the entrance opened and a man ushered in two little girls. They both had long blonde hair and bright green eyes. One was taller and obviously older, she appeared about six or seven. The younger of the two was probably only four. The older one caught site of Ichigo.

"Ichigo!" He turned his head as the two girls ran towards us. Their father smiled down at them, greeting us.

"Hey Sachi, Usagi. Hi Mr. Yamashita." The smaller girl, Usagi, sat in Ichigo's lap without a word. I smiled down at her as their father asked Ichigo a question.

"I know you're busy helping out Dr. Kurosaki but would you mind keeping an eye on them? I have to pick up my wife's perscription before the pharmacy closes. If you'd like I could give you some money." Ichigo shook his head.

"Don't worry about it, we'll watch them." The man smiled and thanked us before telling his daughters where he was going. He also told them to behave and left, thanking Ichigo again before heading out the door. Sachi walked behind Ichigo and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I wanna piggy-back ride, Ichigo!" He turned his head to look at her.

"There's no room for a piggy-back ride, too many people." She frowned, her lower lip sticking out.

"Where's Kon? He'll do it." Ichigo laughed.

"Kon's busy, he's helping my dad." She sighed, defeated, before she noticed me.

"Who're you?"

"I'm Rukia." I said in return, uncomfortable with all the uneasy stares I was getting. She smiled, pulling away from Ichigo.

"Will _you_ give me a piggy-back ride?" Her arms wrapped around my own neck, her weight off-setting my balance. I rested my weight on my right hand and winced slightly as pain shot through my hip.

"Hey, be careful Sachi." The girl let go and looked at me, confused.

"I'm sorry." I smiled.

"It's okay." Ichigo nudged her.

"Rukia just had surgery, she can't pick you up and _no one _is giving you a piggy-back ride so can it." He smiled, earning a weak glare. She turned, looking at the children getting shots.

"Who's that girl with Kon?"

"That's Kisa, Kon's girlfriend." Sachi gave Ichigo an unsure look.

"What? Kon doesn't have a girlfriend!" I noticed Kon turn at the sound of his name. He narrowed his eyes and smiled at the cute blonde standing between Ichigo and I. Ichigo laughed and nodded.

"I know it's hard to believe but it's true." Sachi shook her head.

"She's too pretty for him." This time we both laughed causing Sachi to smile. "What, it's true."

"Don't say that, that's mean." She shrugged.

"Is Rukia your girlfriend?" He nodded.

"She is."

"Why aren't you dating someone as pretty as Kisa?" There was a small pause of silence as her question sank in. I couldn't contain my laughter. My left hand covered my mouth as I tried to muffle the sound.

"Hey, Rukia is very pretty. Why are you being so rude?"

"I didn't mean it like that!" She said, sounding offended. "I just meant that Kisa's prettier."

"Not in my opinion." I looked up at him, still grinning, amused with Sachi's blunt statements.

"Right."

"I mean it." He turned back to Sachi. "Rukia is beautiful inside and out, I'm very happy with her so butt out." She smiled and nodded.

"Okay." She glanced back over towards the cots. "Can I go talk to Kon now?"

"Only if you promise to be nice."

"I promise." He nodded.

"Kon, keep an eye on her." Kon nodded as she ran towards him, holding her arms out to him until he picked her up. Ichigo looked down at Usagi. "Do you want to go talk to Kon?" She shook her head and stood, hugging onto his neck in silence. "Hey what's wrong, Usagi?"

"I don't feel good." He felt her forehead, a concerned expression on his face.

"She's really warm." He pushed her long hair behind her shoulders and away from her face. "What's wrong?"

"My tummy hurts." Ichigo stood.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna take her to my dad." I nodded and watched as he carried Usagi towards Isshin. After explaining the issue to his dad, Ichigo held the girl out to him and took the seringe from Isshin's hand. He picked up where his dad left off while Isshin examined her at another cot. I turned back to the kids on the floor and slowly stretched out my legs. A little boy caught my eye and smiled. I returned the gesture as he grabbed the book in front of him and dragged it towards me.

"Will you help me with this puzzle?"

"Sure." He stretched out on his stomach facing the book. I readjusted and did the same. He grabbed a corner piece and held it out to me. After placing it in the proper spot he held out another pieced and another. The puzzle was only about fifteen pieces and once I got the outline finished he was able to fill in the rest. "Wow, good job." He grinned up at me.

"Thanks." He took the puzzle apart and again held out a corner piece.

"Aren't there any other puzzles you can do? You already know how to do this one." He shook his head and pointed towards a baby sitting on the floor across the room.

"She's playing with it." The baby had a piece of it in her mouth, chewing and drooling on it with a concentrated look on her face. The little boy laughed before turning back to me. "Let's do this one again." I nodded and redid the puzzle three more times until his mother called out to him.

"Come on Haru, it's time to get your shot." He smiled up at his mother and stood. Before he followed her he looked down at me, still grinning away.

"Thanks for playing with me Rukia!" I smiled up at his mother before answering him.

"Any time, Haru." The woman grabbed his hand and led him towards Dr. Hara. As they left, Ichigo returned with Usagi in his arms. As much as I didn't want to admit it, he was pretty cute with all these kids. He smiled down at me before taking his seat. "Is she okay?"

"Dad said her temperature is a little high but no fever. She had a few saltines; she said they helped. When her father gets back my dad's going to talk about making a real appointment for her." I nodded, leaning back on my hands. I glanced at the clock and I was surprised that we had already been there for nearly an hour. Ichigo and I continued to sit in the waiting room, keeping the kids company for another hour and a half. There were several of Isshin's regular patients that came in who recognized both Kon and Ichigo. By two o'clock the clinic closed for lunch and Isshin left to go back to the hospital. After Yuzu fixed us lunch the two doctors went back into the clinic but they told us that they could take care of everyone. It wasn't that busy, they claimed they could handle it. Kon and Kisa stayed in the kitchen with Yuzu and Karin. Ichigo and I sat on the couch in the living room, I rested my head against his arm, feeling exhausted.

"Ichigo?"

"Hm?"

"Can I take a nap?" He looked down at me.

"Seriously?" I nodded. "Of course." He nudged me and stood, handing me my cane. "Come on."

"I can't just sleep on the couch?"

"Listen to them." He gestured toward the kitchen. "You'll never sleep with Kon running his mouth." I sighed and followed him up the stairs and into his room. He pulled back the blankets before I sat on the edge and kicked off my shoes. I laid down and sat my cane on the floor. Ichigo covered me up and closed the blinds. He sat on the floor next to the bed, resting his head on the edge of the matress. "Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just really tired."

"I'm sorry, you should probably be home resting." I shook my head.

"As much as I didn't want to do that, I had fun. You're really good with kids." He smiled, brushing my hair out of my face.

"I told you, I love kids." His thumb absently brushed the side of my face. "You weren't bad with them either, they obviously like you more than you let on." I shrugged.

"You're going to be a great dad one day."

"What are you saying? You've opened your mind to the idea of having children?"

"What are _you_ saying? You think we're getting married?" He thought about it.

"Yeah, I can see it. If our relationship continues this way than definitely yes." His smile widened. "Which means you _will _be open minded about having children." I laughed and rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, yeah." I closed my eyes. Ichigo stood and kissed my head.

"Night, Rukia, I'll wake you up in a few hours."

"Night." I heard the door click shut and allowed myself to drift off to sleep.

-:-

**What a miracle! I updated twice in just a few short days! Spring break hasn't been a total waste! ;) I hope you enjoyed, please review! **


	22. Chapter 22

**I'm back with another chapter! I have no clue when this will be updated but I hope you all enjoy! R&R!**

-:-

The week following my release from the hospital was hectic and felt way too busy. Jumping into school was torture and sitting at my desk all day was horrible for my hip. People stared at me as I made my way through the halls and when classmates did talk to me about the accident, they tried too hard and came off as fake. For most of my classes, the material wasn't difficult and academically I was fine. I was exempt from the first few units in each class and luckily didn't have a ton of work to make up. Michiru also started school the Thursday of that week. Her test results came back and at first they didn't see anything wrong but after multiple doctors looked over them they came to the conclusion that Michiru's short-term memory was permanently affected by the crash. They couldn't say how often she would have the black-outs or even if she _would_ experience another. Despite the bad news she started attending school and did exactly as I did; she ignored all the stares and stupid questions. However, the questions that were hard to ignore were the ones about Ikkaku. Tons of people from his class came up to us during lunch and some of them, some of his closer friends, blamed us. Of course if any of them got out of control Hisagi or Ichigo would get in their face and threaten them, something that never ceased to embarrass us.

Renji was recovering quickly, faster than Michiru had. He started taking a mild pain killer for his aches throughout the day and after only four days of being awake did they allow him to get up and walk the halls. He had no issues walking and his remaining bruises started fading. Michiru and I visited him together on more than one occasion. After taking a few more tests on his head and keeping him in the hospital for observations for another week and a half they finally discharged him. Although he still couldn't go to school, he was ecstatic about going home.

On Friday, just a few short days before Renji was expected to begin school, Michiru wanted to get the group together. She thought it was a great idea and everyone was excited about it except almost everyone was busy. Tatsuki was grounded and Kiba's mother made him attend a family reunion. Hisagi's niece was having a birthday party, one that I was sure Michiru would want to attend. Kisa and Kon left to spend the weekend with Yoshiki and Mai in their apartment. I had a physical therapy appointment after school and Ichigo had offered to take me. Though disappointed Michiru postponed our get together and made individual plans with Renji and his parents.

After my appointment Ichigo and I went back to his house, I was sick of being home all the time and I knew Byuakuya would be caught up at work. Now that everyone involved in the accident was released from the hospital Isshin was able to get rid of his stand-in doctor and focus on the clinic. When we got to Ichigo's house we found Isshin sitting at the kitchen table in his doctor's coat. He looked exhausted as he milked his cup of coffee. Ichigo led me to the table and pulled a chair out for me, allowing me to sit.

"Hey Dad, you okay?" Ichigo continued to stand, resting his weight against the chair in front of him. Isshin smiled up at him, still looking tired.

"I'm fine. How was your day?" He glanced over the table at me before returning his eyes to his son. Ichigo shrugged before finally sitting down and resting his elbow on the table's surface.

"Fine, pretty boring."

"What do you guys have planned for tonight?" I glanced over at Ichigo for an answer, content to let him decide.

"Probably just hang out here for awhile before I take Rukia home." Isshin pushed himself away from the table while Ichigo spoke.

"Alright well Karin and Yuzu are staying with a friend tonight so remind me in a few hours and I'll order something for dinner." Isshin rubbed his eyes tiredly and stretched his arms over his head. Then he turned his gaze to me. "How are you feeling Ruk?"

"Good, thanks for asking."

"You're not experiencing any pain?" I shook my head.

"Nope." He smiled and ruffled my hair.

"Good." I absently ran a hand through my hair. "Well, I'll leave you kids alone, I still have a few patients to see." With that he headed towards the clinic, leaving Ichigo and I in silence. I turned to Ichigo and looked at him expectantly. He smiled, aware of the unspoken question.

"What to do?" I nodded. "Do you want to go upstairs and get our homework out of the way?" I shrugged.

"Sure." We made our way upstairs to his room and spent the next forty minutes or so plowing through math and lit homework. Once we finished Ichigo left to grab us something to drink. I started shoving papers into our bags before tossing them aside. My hands searched the floor for my cane until I had it in my grip. I used it to push myself off the floor and sit on Ichigo's bed where I laid down. Even though I hadn't been experiencing any pain from being on my feet all day, going to school was tiring and by three I was usually pretty drained. I rolled over onto my side and stared at the wall until I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. The door slid open as Ichigo reentered his room.

"Hey, you okay?" I nodded, not turning to look at him. "What's wrong Rukia?" I heard the clink of our glasses as he sat them on his desk before plopping down next to me.

"Nothing." I mumbled in response. I felt him lean over me and finally opened my eyes again. "What do you want?" He laughed at my reaction.

"I just wanna make sure you're okay."

"I am, I'm just tired." He nodded so I closed my eyes again. After sitting up, Ichigo pulled off my shoes and tossed them on the floor. He then crawled over me and wedged his way between me and the wall. I let out a sigh.

"Why are you so irritated?" A small smile formed on my mouth as he talked.

"I"m not, I'm just _tired_." His arms wrapped around my waist loosely and he burried his face into my shoulder. "Get off me."

"Shh, we're taking a nap." His voice was muffled. I let out a laugh and nudged him.

"Says who?"

"Me." I shook my head and continued to push him away.

"I don't want to waste the next few hours sleeping. Besides I won't be able to fall asleep tonight if I take a nap." He shrugged.

"Who cares? Tomorrow's Saturday, you can sleep in tomorrow; if you're tired now you should sleep." I opened my eyes as I hugged onto his neck.

"Nope, I'm awake now."

"Well, too bad, _I'm _tired now." My smile widened as he laid there in silence.

"Ichigo." There was a short pause before he answered.

"Hm?"

"Love you." I felt him smile against my neck.

"Love you too." My hand went to his hair as I started messing with his orange spikes absently. "Hey Rukia."

"What?"

"Will you marry me?" I laughed loudly and shook my head.

"Nope." He laughed, the noise still muffled.

"That's what I thought."

"Way to ruin the moment." He sat up, giving me a confused expression.

"How is that ruining anything? I just offered myself to you; _you_ ruined it with your negativity." My smile widened as I held back more laughter.

"Well I don't want you; _you _ruined it with your stupidity." He burried his face in my shoulder again.

"You're cruel; first you reject me and then you call me stupid."

"Pretty much." I slowly shifted, resting on my back and staring at the ceiling. Ichigo moved with me, practically laying over me. My fingers continued to run through his hair absently as his chest rose and fell rhythmically. We laid there long enough for my eyelids to grow heavy again. I shut my eyes and rested my hand on the top of Ichigo's head. He shifted his gaze, turning his head to look up at me although I ignored his glance, leaving my eyes closed. I felt him kiss my cheek and opened my eyes slightly as he moved to my mouth. Ichigo lingered and after a few moments leaned forward, kissing me more vigorously. My eyes slid shut again as I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck. Ichigo shifted over me, his lips never leaving mine, until his body was hovering over me. He finally pulled away only to move to my neck. I felt my heart racing as I caught my breath and actually thought about how far I wanted this to go. While in the middle of that thought the door was pushed open, exposing Isshin. I froze, slightly pushing Ichigo as my cheeks heated up. Isshin glared down at Ichigo before yelling.

"Get off her! You're going to push her hip out of place again, you dumbass!" Ichigo sat up quickly and asked if I was okay, sounding urgent and worried.

"I'm fine." I glanced at him before turning my eyes towards the door. Isshin sighed, rubbing his forehead.

"I came up here to tell you two that I ordered food." He glanced at his watch. "I know its early but I'm starving and all my patients are gone." Ichigo nodded, not saying a word. "Both of you behave." With that he turned and left, heading for the stairs and leaving the door open. As soon as Isshin had reached the lower level of the house, the bottom step creaking on cue, Ichigo started laughing loudly. I gave him a confused look.

"What the hell is so funny?"

"My dad is more concerned about your hip than he is worried about us having sex." He shook his head.

"That was not funny, you should not be laughing." He glanced over at me, smiling.

"Don't worry about it, my dad won't bring it up ever again. He never does." I raised my eyebrows at his comment.

"This has happened to you multiple times in the past?" Ichigo scratched the back of his neck absently.

"Just a few times."

"Right." I grabbed his arm and pulled myself into a sitting position, glancing over the edge of the bed to the floor. "Grab my cane, will you?" He reached over and picked it up before handing it to me.

"Are you sure you're okay? Did I hurt your hip?"

"I'm fine, I would've told you if I was in pain." I pushed myself of the bed, stretching my legs.

"Going somewhere?" I nodded causing Ichigo to smile. "Where?"

"Downstairs." He stood and wrapped his arms around me before I could step towards the door. I slid my free arm around his waist and closed my eyes. We stood there in silence until Isshin yelled up the stairs that the food had arrived. We then headed towards the kitchen as Isshin starting laying out plates. Ichigo was right; Isshin didn't bring up the awkward encounter or offer us some long lecture, something I imagined my brother would've done. That is if he didn't kill Ichigo first. Dinner was pleasant. Afterwards we decided to go to my place to keep Byuakuya company. We quickly gathered up our stuff and got into Ichigo's truck after saying goodbye to Isshin. When we pulled into the drive we were surprised to find an extra car parked behind Byu's black car. Ichigo turned towards me with a confused expression on his face.

"Who's here?"

"I think it's Grimmjow's car." His face hardened, causing me to sigh. "I said_ I think _Ichigo, calm down." I pushed open the truck's door while grabbing my cane as Ichigo just sat there. I glared at him. "Get your keys and get the hell out of this car." He glanced over at me, not moving. "**Now**." I slid out of the truck and grabbed my school bag from the seat before slamming the door shut. Ichigo was making his way around the vehicle and took my bag out of my hand, then he led me towards the door, holding it open for me. Once inside I kicked my shoes off and glanced inside the kitchen, finding Byuakuya and Grimmjow sitting at the table drinking what smelled like coffee. Grimmjow grinned up at me.

"Hey Ruk." I returned the gesture.

"Hey Grimmjow, what are you up to?" He glanced behind me before turning to Byu.

"I'm just bothering your brother. My mom and her boyfriend are arguing so I decided to get out of the house. Plus I wanted to see how you were doing. Feeling better?" I nodded as Ichigo walked past me, sitting at the table.

"Much better, thanks for asking." Grimmjow nodded towards Ichigo in a greeting.

"Hey Ichigo."

"Hey." Ichigo absently tapped his knuckles against the table, staring off with a bored expression on his face. I sighed quietly to myself before turning back to Grimmjow and Byuakuya.

"I'll be right back, I'm gonna change out of my uniform." He nodded as I turned toward the stairs and headed towards my room. I quickly changed into some sweats that would double as pajamas in a few hours. Then I went back to the kitchen, sitting in the chair between Ichigo and Grimmjow. Byuakuya turned to me, absently running a finger over the brim of his coffee cup.

"How was your appointment?"

"It was fine, the doctor said I should be able to get rid of the cane in about a month or so."

"That's great news." I smiled at his enthusiasm.

"I know, I can't wait." Grimmjow turned his head towards me.

"Did your friend ever find out about that weird black out?"

"Kinda; the doctors said that she'll have permanent issues with her short-term memories but they don't really know if she'll have anymore black outs. So she really didn't get an answer."

"That's scary." I nodded in agreement. "How's your friend Renji? How's his memory?"

"As of now, he seems fine. He's in better physical condition than Michiru."

"Wow, that's awesome." He reached over and rested a hand on my head lightly. "Byu and I were just talking about how glad we are that you recovered so quickly." I glanced over at my brother.

"You need a new topic of conversation. You're always talking about me, stop it." I smiled as he brushed off my comment.

"You're my little sister and since I pay for all your expenses I think I'll talk about you as much as I want." I laughed as I pushed Grimmjow's hand away.

"I'm not an owned possession."

"Actually you kind of are, I do have legal custody of you." My smile widened.

"That's not ownership, you didn't buy me."

"You were pretty costly, actually." He returned the gesture, a teasing grin on his face. I leaned back in my chair, waving him off. "Have you guys eaten dinner?"

"Yeah, we ate before we left." He nodded and pushed himself away from the table, standing.

"Okay." Byu absently pushed his hair behind his shoulder. "I'm going to get some work done, you kids behave. Let me know if you go anywhere, Rukia." I nodded and pushed away from the table. Byukuya headed down the hall, leaving me alone with Ichigo and Grimm who both looked to me questioningly.

"You guys wanna watch a movie or something?" They both shrugged; I sighed. Grimmjow laughed before standing.

"Sure, Rukia, let's do that." I smiled and held my hand out to Ichigo who took it and pulled himself out of his seat. We headed towards the living room, sitting on the couch. Grimmjow grabbed the remote and started flipping through the movie channels. He quickly picked something to watch, making sure it was fine with us and then stood. "Do you care if I get something to eat?"

"Sure; haven't you had dinner?" He shook his head.

"My mom was in the middle of dinner when they started fighting." My eyebrows turned down.

"What were they arguing about?" He ran a hand through his hair.

"He wants me out when I'm eighteen and for once she was sticking up for me." My expression shifted into a glare; his mother was always picking her boyfriends over Grimmjow and it made me sick. Just another reason to be thankful I didn't have parents.

"You're turning eighteen in like three months; how does he expect you to take care of yourself while finishing high school?" He shrugged, still standing in front of the us. "Go ahead, get whatever you want. There should be some leftovers from yesterday in there." He smiled and headed towards the kitchen.

"Thanks." I turned to Ichigo to say something but was cut off by a loud knock on the door. I was about to push myself off the couch but Ichigo beat me to it. He opened the door allowing Renji and Michiru to enter.

"Hey guys, do you mind if we come in and hang out for a while?" Michiru glanced up at Ichigo as she spoke. He smiled down at her.

"I don't mind." She glanced at me.

"Of course not; did you drive here?" She nodded, glancing up at Renji before turning back to me. All three of us were still having issues getting behind the wheel, especially Renji. I couldn't drive with my hip the way it was but I probably wouldn't even if I could. It was hard enough to get in a car.

"We were bored out of our minds; Shenji and Ren shunned us. They wanted their precious alone time. We figured your appointment would be over so we decided to surprise you with our pleasant company." She smiled, glancing at the television. "Just in time for the movie." Renji nudged her with his elbow.

"Nice timing, 'Chiru." She laughed quietly.

"Well, you know, I'm just skilled like that." Ichigo rolled his eyes at their interaction, a smile still on his face.

"Come join us." Renji nodded and nudged Michiru towards the couch. "You might wanna take the loveseat, my friend Grimmjow is here." Renji's eyebrows turned down.

"Who?" Grimmjow reentered the living room, smiling at the sight of Michiru. She returned the gesture.

"Hey, Michiru." Renji gave him a skeptical look as they squeezed onto the loveseat. Michiru smiled up at him as he sat his bowl of food on the coffee table.

"Hello." Grimmjow glanced over at Ichigo and I.

"Does anyone want something to drink?" I shook my head, pushing myself off the couch and making my way around the coffee table, cane in hand.

"I don't think there's anything in there. I'll fix some tea." He nodded and followed as I headed back towards the kitchen. After digging through the cabinet and finding a pitcher I handed it over to Grimmjow and told him to fill it with water. Then I grabbed a few tea bags from the counter and the sugar. Grimm filled the pitcher with ice and then water. I tossed in the tea bags and then lazily stirred in some sugar. He chuckled at my lack of interest. I smiled in returned as he leaned against the counter next to me. "Taste it." I held out the cooking spoon I used so he could try it. He shook his head.

"Needs more sugar." He grabbed the measuring spoon in the sugar bowl and added a large scoop.

"Goddamn, are you trying to give us diabetes?" He laughed and started stirring in the half cup of sugar.

"Chill out, it tastes better this way." I took the spoon from him and absently started stirring. "So, I see Ichigo still hates my guts." I sighed and shook my head.

"He's just being a jackass, he doesn't know you and he has no reason to hate you."

"Well I don't like him." I gave him a funny look.

"Why not?"

"He acts like you can't have guy friends outside of _his_ friends. It's a little hypicritical." I shook my head.

"Well, I'm sorry to say but you don't have to like Ichigo."

"Are you saying my input doesn't matter to you?"

"About this? No; you don't know him either and I know he's not treating you right but that doesn't give you the right to judge him." He looked a little hurt and I felt guilty for hurting his feelings. Grimmjow was one of my best friends but he knew virtually nothing about Ichigo. "Look, I really love Ichigo. You don't know him; he's not controlling like you think."

"Well I really love you." I smiled.

"I love you too Grimmjow but that doesn't mean you're right about Ichigo." He rested his hand over mine, getting my attention. Without another word he leaned down and kissed me, pressing his mouth against mine as his hand found its way to my back. After the initial shock I pushed him away. "What-"

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?" Standing in the entrance of the kitchen was Ichigo and Michiru. Ichigo looked like a raging bull as he started storming over towards us, his furious expression directed at Grimmjow. Michiru grabbed his arm and tried to stop him but her efforts were worthless. I pushed myself off the counter quickly and stepped in front of Grimmjow, holding up my hands.

"Ichigo, calm down-" He pushed me aside and before I knew it he was swinging his fists, hitting Grimmjow in the face. "Ichigo!" Grimmjow shoved Ichigo away, wiping his face with the back of his hand. The look on his face really scared me; Grimmjow had some height on Ichigo and I had seen him in multiple fights. He held his own. "Grimmjow, don't!" He took a step closer to Ichigo but Ichigo shoved him back into the counter.

"Please, do you really think you can justify what you just did?" Ichigo grabbed Grimm's shirt collar and swung again. "She's my girlfriend you asshole, get that through your thick skull." By then he was speaking through his teeth angrily. Grimmjow shoved Ichigo away throwing a punch, one that Ichigo could not dodge in time.

"Stop!" I knew I had no chance of getting in between them. Frustrated, I clenched my fists. "Renji, get in here!" I glanced towards Michiru who just stood there with a scared expression on her face. When I turned back towards the two idiots, I found Ichigo pinning Grimmjow before swinging again. Grimmjow grabbed Ichigo's arm and turned him over, knocking him into the table and into me. I stumbled back, lost my footing and fell back onto my butt.

"Renji!" Michiru turned and was about to go looking for him when both Renji and Byuakuya entered the kitchen. Grimmjow had gotten the upper hand and threw another punch, hitting Ichigo in the face. I heard his head hit the table with a loud thud from the momentum of Grimm's punch.

"Grimmjow, stop!" By this time I could tell they were both bleeding. Renji grabbed both of Grimmjow's arms and pulled him off of Ichigo with what looked like a lot of effort. Ichigo blinked a few times but pushed himself off the floor as if he were going to pounce on the opportunity. Byuakuya stepped between them before Ichigo could do anything.

"Ichigo, stop." Ichigo glared daggers at Grimmjow, breathing deeply. I noticed a splotch of blood on the back of his head, discoloring his orange hair. A little blood dribbled down from a cut in his forehead.

"Get that son of a bitch out of here, Renji." He spoke through his teeth. Renji looked to Byuakuya for instruction. Byu sighed.

"Grimmjow, you should go." I grabbed a chair at the kitchen table and pulled myself up. Grimmjow glanced at me and I couldn't help feeling guilty. He probably felt like I was putting Ichigo above our friendship, something I wasn't trying to do. He shrugged off Renji's grip.

"I don't want to see you anywhere near Rukia anymore." Ichigo hadn't calmed in the slightest.

"Pfft." Grimmjow's eyes met mine again. "I knew I was right about him." He scoffed and turned, heading towards the door. I looked up at Byuakuya.

"He can't go home, Byu. His mom and her boyfriend, they're fighting about _him_."

"That's not your problem, Rukia." A surge of raged hit me.

"Shut up, Ichigo!" I glared up at him before turning back to Byuakuya. "He hasn't had anything to eat and he has no where to go." Byu glanced towards the door and nodded.

"I'll take care of it." He grabbed his keys and quickly headed towards the exit. I turned my gaze back towards Ichigo, still furious. I pulled out the chair closest to me before grabbing a fistful of Ichigo's shirt. I shoved him into the seat and pointed my finger in his face.

"Listen to me, Ichigo." He blinked, his expression now rid of any anger. "You are _not_ going to tell me who I can and can't be friends with."

"Rukia, he-"

"Shut up." He sighed. "I'll talk to Grimmjow and make it very clear that he can't do that sort of crap but you have to stop with this petty jealous act. Do you understand me?" He rubbed his forehead, looking exhausted.

"Yes." I sighed, letting go of his shirt. Michiru approached us, laying a hand on my shoulder.

"Are you okay, Ichigo?" He looked up at her, looking a little embarrassed. Because of my anger, I failed to realize that Renji and Michiru had witnessed me scolding him like a child.

"I'm fine." I grabbed a towel off the counter and started wiping off some of the blood dripping down the side of his face. He held his head momentarily before looking up at Renji. "That son of a bitch can throw a punch." Renji chuckled under his breath.

"Are you sure your fine Ichigo? Your head hit the table pretty hard." I turned his head and looked at the small cut that had discolored his hair. "Do you have a headache?" He nodded. Michiru offered to get him some painkillers, looking in the medicine cabinet quickly. After getting him some water and offering him the pills she took the towel from me and got the end wet before scrubbing the blood off his face. I sat down, allowing her to take control. My hip was sore from falling. Michiru had Renji fetch a first aid kit and dabbed a small amount of rubbing alcohol on his two cuts. She then offered to wash the blood out of his hair which she proceeded to do in the kitchen sink.

Ichigo didn't have to tell us that he was in pain, we could all tell by the look on his face. Because of this Michiru offered to drive him home, Renji following in Michiru's car to give her a ride home. They apologized for cutting the night short but I assured them I didn't mind. Ichigo didn't look well and I knew Isshin would take care of him once he got home. They all said goodbye and headed out the door. I glanced at the clock, now alone in the living room. It was only going on eight but I decided to lock the front door, turn off all the lights, and head upstairs to my bedroom. I curled up in bed and pushed all thoughts of the earlier confrontation out of my head. With much effort I was able to fall asleep.

-:-

**...All I can say is that I'm sorry for the late update. However, I only have about seven or eight more days of school! Once summer comes I'll have much more time to pump out the rest of this story! Please review, I'd like to know you all felt about the direction the story is going in! **


	23. Chapter 23

**I'm going to do my best and try to pump out some of this before its time for bed! I hope it gets to you all soon although I cannot make any promises. The last seven days of school will probably be some of the busiest (the life of a senior is not easy). Anyway, I'll do my best! On with chapter 23!**

-:-

I was woken up suddenly as a hand started shaking my shoulder. I heard a distant voice as I slipped out of my deep slumber. The voice got clearer and clearer until I could identify it: Kon. He was saying something about the time and asked if I was feeling alright. Finally, I opened my eyes and turned to face him. Once my vision was clear I saw Kon sitting on the edge of my bed, twirling my cane in one of his hands.

"Kon? What are you doing here?" He smiled before responding.

"Yoshiki got sick last night. He was worried he had the stomach flu and didn't want to give it to us so Mai brought us home early this morning."

"She dropped you off here?"

"Yup." I pushed myself into a sitting position causing a wave of pain, though it was mild pain. My hip was still sore from falling the night before. "Do you know why your friend is sleeping on the couch?" My eyebrows turned down in confusion. Kon tried to clarify by mentally searching for a name. "Grimmjow?"

"He's sleeping on the couch?"

"Yeah, his face is splotched with bruises. Is he okay?" I sighed.

"He got into a fight with Ichigo yesterday." Kon's eybrows rose in surprise.

"What? Why?"

"Long story." Kon gave me a skeptical look before smiling.

"Did he make a move on you?" I gave him a questioning glance.

"How'd you know?" He laughed, pushing my disheveled hair behind my shoulder.

"Its pretty obvious that the guy likes you." I let out another sigh, wondering what I was supposed to say to Grimmjow to fix our friendship. "That guy is pretty huge, is Ichigo okay?" I smiled, slightly amused.

"He went home pretty quickly last night; Grimmjow slammed his head into the table leg pretty hard." Sincere concern spread over his face. "Don't worry, Ichigo's a big boy. Besides, he started the fight, he kinda got what was coming."

"Rukia!" I laughed.

"What?"

"Of course he started the fight, the guy crossed some line. You shouldn't think of it as Ichigo's fault. You can't blame a guy for being jealous." My smile widened and I patted his face lightly.

"Jealousy annoys me."

"So you're saying you wouldn't be jealous if one of Ichigo's exgirlfriends kissed him?"

"Grimmjow's not an ex." Kon rolled his eyes.

"Fine, then let's say Mina kissed him; you wouldn't be jealous and angry?" I waved him off.

"Shut up, Kon." He laughed and stood before handing me my cane.

"There's my answer." I pushed the blankets off my legs and used my cane to hoist myself off the bed. As we made our way out of the room, Kisa stepped into the doorway. She smiled when our eyes met.

"Hey Kisa." I smiled back, happy to see her.

"Hi." She followed Kon and I as we headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. Byu was sitting at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper. He looked exhausted, making me worry.

"You don't look so good Byu." He looked up as my voice rang through the kitchen, smiling.

"Last night was a little rough."

"Where'd you guys go?" Byu rubbed his eyes after sitting the paper down.

"We grabbed something to eat and sat in the restaurant talking for a few hours. I offered to let him stay here for the night but we waited until we thought Ichigo had gone home."

"He left like fifteen minutes after you guys." He shrugged.

"Better safe than sorry." Kon sat at the table after pulling out a chair for Kisa and I. We followed as Byuakuya continued. "That poor kid; he has a lot of issues going on at home." Guilt rushed through me; I knew his mom was always putting her boyfriends above Grimmjow but I didn't realize it was getting so bad. "You should clear things up once he's awake." I nodded.

"Planned on it." Byuakuya patted my arm and turned to Kisa and Kon; asking them about their time at Yoshiki's. I pushed away from the table and made my way to the living room. As I entered the room Grimmjow looked up at me from the couch. He also looked exhausted; his face was bruised in multiple places and I wondered if he had a headache.

"Hey." His face was neutral as he spoke. I approached the couch, kneeling on the floor next to it.

"Hey, how're you feeling?" He laughed quietly.

"Physically? Pretty shitty. I also feel like an idiot if that's what you're asking." I smiled, leaning my elbow on the couch.

"Grimmjow, don't feel like an idiot."

"Oh, but I do."

"Don't." I sat my cane on the floor and turned back to him. "Can we please just...forget this happened? I don't want a couple mistakes on both our parts to ruin our friendship."

"I would love to forget about it but I doubt Ichigo is going to anytime soon." I shook my head.

"Don't worry about him; I took care of that." He smiled, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh really?" I nodded.

"I made it very clear that he can't tell me who I can and can't be friends with." I held up my hand, pointing a finger. "In fact, I think I scared him a little." Grimmjow laughed. "So we can forget about this?"

"Yes."

"And you realize that you have to learn the boundaries, okay?"

"Yeah, I think Ichigo beat those into me. They're clear." I rolled my eyes, sitting up. I froze before standing as a more serious expression fell over my face.

"I'm really sorry if I ever made you feel like our friendship isn't important to me because it is."

"And I'm sorry for making you uncomfortable yesterday. It's obvious you really like Ichigo and I can't really blame the guy for acting the way he did. I probably would've done the same thing." I grabbed my cane and pushed myself off the ground. Grimmjow sat up, rubbing his eyes. I leaned over and hugged him loosely. He returned the gesture quickly before letting go and standing.

"Do you need some painkillers?" His hand went to his head absently.

"Yes, please." I nodded and he followed me into the kitchen where I fetched him a few painkillers. He took them before searching the cabinets for a glass.

Grimmjow stayed for about an hour before he called his house and talked to his mom. Apparently her boyfriend had left after their arguement so he decided to go home and get some rest before he had to work. Byu offered him breakfast before he left. Once he had something to eat he apologized and thanked Byuakuya for letting him stay for the night, then left.

An hour or so after Grimmjow left Kisa started feeling sick to her stomach. Kon mentioned Yoshiki's stomach illness and a few minutes later she started throwing up. Byuakuya told Kon to call Isshin and ask him if he could come over. While they started taking care of her I did my best to stay away from her. I did not want to get sick. Once Kisa felt stable enough to leave the trashcan she followed Byu to the living room and sat on the couch, refusing to lay down. I moved from the love seat and stepped closer to the kitchen. Byuakuya looked over at me curiously.

"What are you doing, Rukia?"

"Nothing, just...staying away from Kisa." He smiled and rolled his eyes. Byu turned his attention towards Kon.

"Are you feeling okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." He sat next to Kisa, absently wrapping his arm around her. She shoved him away and leaned forward, resting her head in her hands.

"Get off me." Kon laughed quietly, still managing some sympathy.

"Sorry." Byuakuya smiled, containing his own laughter, and rested a hand on her head. We sat in silence for a few minutes waiting for Isshin to show up. After about ten minutes there was a knock on the door; Byu got up and open the door, letting Isshin and Ichigo into the house. I stayed put, standing in the entryway between the kitchen and living room as Isshin approached Kisa. Ichigo glanced over at them before heading in my direction. I gave him a weird look, smiling up at him.

"Didn't you come here to help your dad?" He shook his head, shoving his hand in his pockets.

"No, he made me come. I know how contagious that shit is and I don't want it." Kisa looked over at his words, staring him down and conveying her sarcastic message. Ichigo laughed and held up his hands. "Sorry." She turned her attention back to Isshin who was asking both her and Kon about how they felt. Ichigo turned back to me. "Kon can stay here tonight; he's already contaminated."

"Uh, I don't want to get sick either." Ichigo smiled.

"Is that why you're over here?" I nodded, earning a laugh from him. Isshin turned towards us, his attention now on Ichigo.

"Go get your sisters, this might take a little longer than planned." Ichigo nodded in response and headed back outside. Byuakuya glanced out the window towards the Kurosaki vehicle. Ichigo ushered the two girls into the house and immediately Yuzu turned in Kon's direction.

"Kon! How was-" Isshin held his hand up as Yuzu approached the couch.

"Sweety, stay with your brother. This kind of virus is very contagious and I don't want a house full of sick kids." Yuzu frowned and nodded. "Ichigo, take your sisters in the kitchen." Karin headed towards the kitchen without Ichigo, greeting me lazily. I patted her head as she walked past me. Yuzu's enthusiasm was restored when she noticed me.

"Rukia, how are you feeling?" I led her into the kitchen, sitting at the table as Ichigo entered the room.

"I'm pretty good, how're you guys? Do you like school?" They shrugged in response before Yuzu turned the conversation back to me.

"Will you tell us what happened to Ichi last night? Daddy won't tell us how he got hurt." Ichigo sighed as he sat across the table from us. I wasn't sure why Isshin would keep it from his daughters but I wasn't going to overstep his reasons by telling her.

"If your dad won't tell you I'm sure it's for a good reason." She sighed and Karin spoke up.

"He obviously got in a fight, we just don't know who he fought." I turned to Ichigo, a confused look spreading over my face.

"If they know this much why not just tell them?" Ichigo rested his head in his palm before answering.

"Dad doesn't realize that they know I was in a fight; he gets pissed whenever this sort of thing happens because I'm 'promoting violence'." Ichigo waved it off. "Fuck it, look I'll tell you guys if you don't make a big deal out of it." I smiled and rolled my eyes. Yuzu sat up in her chair, looking excited.

"Promise." Ichigo smiled at her before continuing.

"Well, yeah I was in a fight-"

"With who?" Karin chimed in impatiently.

"One of Rukia's friends. Anyways-"

"Wait, question, what friend? Someone from your school?" Yuzu cocked her eyebrows, resting her elbows on the table.

"No, he goes to her old school. So-" This time he was cut off by Karin slapping her hand on the table.

"Nevermind; figured it out." Ichigo gave her a curious glance.

"Oh really?" She nodded.

"Some guy that Rukia knows from her old school?" Ichigo nodded. "He did something to Rukia so you got pissed and started a fight." Ichigo and I stared at her in mild amazement.

"Hot damn, you got it." I laughed at his choice of words and patted Karin on the back. "And I'm telling both of you right now, I don't care what Dad tells you, it is okay to fight for someone you care about."

"Ichigo, don't tell them that." He shook his head.

"It's _true_." His gaze was on Karin. "If you ever feel like you have to stand up for someone, do it. Especially Yuzu."

"Now you really are promoting violence." Ichigo shrugged.

"Sometimes it's necessary."

"Well it wasn't necessary last night." Ichigo blinked, mentally debating how to respond before turning to his sisters.

"It was necesary, don't listen to her." Yuzu laughed, sitting back in her chair. I gave Ichigo a look, hoping he would drop it. He smiled and reached across the table to grab my hand.

"Do you guys think you'd ever get married?" I froze momentarily at Yuzu's question as Ichigo's hand instinctively tightened around my own.

"Why would you ask that?" She shrugged, not noticing how her question affected us.

"You've never had a girlfriend that makes you as happy as Rukia." She rested her chin in her hand. "I think you guys should get married; I want you to be this happy forever."

"Yuzu, they're too young to get married." Karin leaned forward to glance at her sister.

"I didn't mean _now_." Yuzu held up her hand, pointing her finger at us. "I'm only asking because Dad told me that Rukia is Ichi's Masaki...if that makes any sense." There was a moment of complete silence and I was a little worried those in the living room heard her. Ichigo's eyes met mine before he looked down at his sister.

"When did he tell you that?" She shrugged.

"A while ago; a few days before the car accident." Again there was silence. Footsteps echoed through the quiet kitchen and I turned to see Isshin.

"I'm done, we should get going." We all just stared up at him, no one spoke. He furrowed his eyebrows. "What's up?" Yuzu pushed herself away from the table and opened her mouth the talk but Karin beat her to it.

"Nothing." Isshin gave her an unsure look and then shrugged.

"Anyway, Kon's staying her for the night and if you want Rukia, you can some stay with us. Byuakuya said it was fine and your chances of getting sick are pretty slim since you stayed away from them." I nodded, pulling my hand away from Ichigo and standing, grabbing my cane.

"Aren't you worried about getting sick, Isshin?" He smiled at my question, shaking his head.

"I haven't gotten sick in years."

"Really?" He nodded.

"He has the strongest immune system, it's not even funny." Ichigo pushed himself away from the table as he spoke.

"Yeah, well my kids have pretty terrible immune systems so we should head home." I smiled and headed for the stairs.

"Let me grab some clothes, I'll hurry." Isshin patted my shoulder.

"Don't rush, I'm just giving them a hard time." He turned back to his children. "Girls go say goodbye to Kon and Kisa but don't touch them. And mind your manners, tell Mr. Kuchiki goodbye too." They nodded and headed towards the living room. "Ichigo, help her up the stairs, she's scaring me." I smiled.

"I'm fine."

"You look like you're in pain." I shrugged.

"Just a little sore." Ichigo approached us, standing a step behind me.

"She fell yesterday." Isshin's face hardened.

"Because of your fight?" Ichigo stepped behind me, acting intimidated. I laughed and waved it off.

"It wasn't his fault. Besides, I'm fine." Isshin ignored me and continued glaring at Ichigo.

"Help her up the stairs before I ground you." I laughed as he turned and reentered the living room. Ichigo sighed, sounding irritated with his father. His hand cupped my elbow carefully as he supported some of my weight.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you got hurt last night."

"Don't be sorry, it was Grimmjow's fault that I fell. And I'm not hurt, just sore." We continued to my room in silence. Once we were off the stairs I pulled my arm free of Ichigo and led him to my bed room. I flipped on the light and headed for my dresser. With Ichigo's help I packed a small duffle bag with clothes and other necessities. As we turned to head downstairs Ichigo's phone started ringing. He glanced at the screen and acted like he was going to repocket the device but reluctantly answered the call.

"Hello?" He grabbed the duffle bag and held his arm out to me. I turned off the light and grabbed his arm quickly before leading him towards the stairs. "I'm at Rukia's, but my dad's sort of in a rush so we're actually heading out." I heard Hisagi's voice on the other line. "Kisa got sick so Byuakuya asked my dad to look at her. I think she has a stomach virus. Yeah, Kon too, they're being quarantined." I smiled, half hearing Hisagi's response. We made progress to the bottom of the stairs a lot slower than before. Ichigo was taking his sweet time, focusing on his conversation which slowed his pace. I tugged on his arm to speed things up; it's sad when a cripple rushes you. "I'll ask but Rukia's getting impatient so I gotta go. I'll ask her and let you know. Okay, bye." He flipped the phone shut and slid it in his pocket.

"What was that about?"

"Michiru and Hisagi wanna know if we want to hang out. They're bored and don't want to be alone." I furrowed my eyebrows.

"They don't want to be alone?" Ichigo laughed.

"Michiru doesn't want to be alone because they're at her house and her mother absolutely despises Hisagi now. Michiru's been telling her mom that they're just friends now so she'll get off her back."

"Wow..." He nodded as we made our way into the living room. Byuakuya was now sitting on the couch with Kisa sitting on his lap. Her hands were clenching onto her hair; she looked miserable. She rested her head against Byu's chest with her eyes closed tightly. I had never seen Byuakuya look so much like a father before; it reminded me a lot of my childhood, seeing him comfort Kisa like that. Kon was sitting on the loveseat, with his legs stretched out. Isshin was telling them that if they needed anything to call. Byuakuya thanked Isshin for his help and hospitality before addressing me.

"Behave, Rukia." I smiled and nodded.

"I will. Try not to get sick, Byu."

"I probably will but that's okay."

"Feel better Kisa, love you." She nodded, not bothering to look up at me. I felt bad for acting like she had the plague earlier. "Bye Kon." He smiled and waved goodbye. "Bye, Byuakuya, love you."

"Love you, too." With that Isshin led us outside towards his car. Yuzu and Karin got in the backseat, leaving the door open for me to climb in. After Ichigo threw my bag in the trunk we were on our way.

Once we got to the house Ichigo helped me upstairs and dropped my duffle bag on his bed. His room was cleaner than usual. Ever since Kon had started living there the room was usually pretty trashed. There just wasn't enough space for two very large teenage boys.

"Your room looks nice." He nodded. "Where am I staying?"

"In here, I figured I just stay in Kon's room."

"Kon's room?"

"Oh yeah, you haven't seen it. My dad helped Kon and I clean out his 'storage room'. We came home from school one day and he had furnished it."

"Aw, that's awesome. I bet Kon was excited."

"We both were; we get along a lot better now that we don't share a room." I grabbed his hand.

"I wanna see it." Ichigo shrugged and led me down the hall to the door at the end of the hallway. It had a metal piece attached above the doorknob that was meant for a padlock but without the lock. Ichigo pushed the door open and flicked on a light. The room was pretty bare and didn't have a window. The walls were white and obviously forgotten when they painted the rest of the house. Dust flew everywhere once we walked inside before it settled on the floorboards by our feet. "It's kind of depressing."

"No it's not, it's Kon's room. It's a happy room." I laughed, grabbing his arm absently.

"Are you sure? I don't like that there isn't a window."

"I'm sure, Kon loves it. He actually has privacy for the first time. Maybe no windows is a good thing." He led me across the room and sat on the bed. Instead of sitting down I rested my weight on his shoulder. "When he lived with his parents his room didn't have a door, so there was no real way of escaping his parents." I frowned.

"Why didn't it have a door?"

"His dad kicked it down a few years ago." I felt a glare form on my face.

"People are so fucked up. People like _them_ shouldn't have children." Ichigo wrapped his arms around me.

"If people like them didn't have children then I wouldn't have you or Kon in my life." I smiled, meeting his gaze.

"Well Ichigo, this is not about you." He laughed.

"Fair enough." I kissed his cheek before he pushed himself off the bed. "Do did you want to go hang out at Michiru's?" I shrugged.

"Yeah, we can." He nodded before leading me out of the room. I excused myself to Ichigo's room before leaving so I could change. Once I was dressed I headed down the stairs alone, now donning jean shorts and a tshirt. Ichigo had already told his dad about our plans. When I reached the living room he had his keys in hand and was ready to go. I clutched my cane and followed him outside. Ichigo's truck was acting up and his engine was louder than usual making it nearly impossible to hold a conversation so we rode in silence. We made it to Michiru's quickly, parking next to my uncle's car.

"Katsurou's here." I spoke enthusiastically. I hadn't seen him in a while. Ichigo smiled over at me as he slid out of the truck. I did the same but my cane slipped off the siding on his truck and I lost my balance. I spilled out of the vehicle, landing on my knees. I winced as pain shot through the entire left side of my body. Ichigo rushed over to me.

"Oh my god, Rukia are you okay?" His voice was urgent as he kneeled down, offering his hand.

"I'm fine." I grabbed my cane in one hand and Ichigo's hand in the other. Slowly I pushed myself off the ground and brushed off the dirt. My knees were scraped up from the concrete and small trickles of blood ran down my right leg.

"Did you feel anything pop out of place?" I shook my head.

"No." I tried to take a step towards the house but again pain shot through me. My eyebrows furrowed as I tightened my grip on Ichigo's hand. "This isn't happening, you've gotta carry me."

"It hurts that bad?" I nodded. He leaned over and scooped me up bridal style. After turning around he kicked his door shut and then headed for the door. He didn't insist on knocking and simply walked in. He headed in the direction of the sitting room where we usually met up. When we reached the room we found Katsurou sitting with a very pregnant Mei Mei on one of the couches. We caught their attention rather quickly.

"What happened?" Katsuruo regarded me with concern as Ichigo sat me carefully on the opposite couch. I winced again. Ichigo apologized before explaining.

"She fell out of my truck." Michiru walked in, followed by Hisagi, as he spoke. She frowned.

"Are you okay, Rukia?" I nodded, absently wiping away some of the blood with my hand. Ichigo grabbed my wrist, sighing.

"Rukia, don't."

"I'll get you a bandaide." Michiru left quickly. Hisagi took a step closer to us.

"Do you need anything? Do you want a painkiller?" I simply shook my head. Ichigo had gotten ahold of some tissues and was wiping off the half dried blood before holding it against my knee. I took it from him, pushing his hand away.

"Will you guys chill? I fell, I'm not dying." Michiru reentered the room with antibacterial cream and bandaides in her hands. She handed them to Ichigo who was know kneeling on the ground next to my legs. He cleaned up the scrape and bandaged it up quickly. Mei Mei offered me a concerned glance.

"Are you sure you don't need any painkillers?"

"I'm sure, thanks." I inhaled deeply, held my breath, and then exhaled. "Okay, new topic." Hisagi laughed while walking around the couch. He sat on my free side, laying his arm over the back of the couch. Michiru turned to Mei Mei as she slowly pushed herself off the couch.

"Are you guys leaving already?" Mei Mei nodded, holding her hand out to Katsurou.

"Sorry Sweety but we have to meet with the wedding planner and I have to take a nap." She smiled at the last part of her statement. Michiru laughed and nodded.

"Well have fun, come back soon, I miss you." Mei Mei hugged her tightly.

"I will." Katusurou stood and approached me, leaning over to kiss the top of my head.

"Feel better, Rukia, and be careful. Love you." I nodded.

"I will, love you too." He turned to Ichigo.

"You better not let this happen again." He smiled teasingly down at Ichigo. Ichigo sighed, running a hand through his hair absently.

"You Kuchiki's just love putting the blame on other people don't you?" Katsurou laughed.

"I'm a little offended."

"Me too." I smiled down at Ichigo.

"Yeah, yeah." Katsurou patted Hisagi on the shoulder and said goodbye as Mei Mei led him towards the door. She waved and said goodbye. Michiru sat on the couch opposite of us, pouting slightly.

"I feel bad, all my preplanned activities are things you're probably too sore to do." I waved her off.

"Don't let me stop you guys." She held up her hands.

"No, no, I'll think of something we can do." She pulled her legs onto the couch, indian style, and stared off in thought. After a few short moments she snapped her fingers enthusiastically. "I know! We should have a therapy session for Renji and Hisagi, help them fix their issues." Hisagi groaned.

"No, let's not." She brushed him off.

"Shut up, Hisagi." Her attention went to Ichigo and I. "Can we please do that? I can't take the arguing anymore."

"How are you going to get Renji over here? He'd never agree to that." Ichigo pushed himself off the floor as he spoke and sat next to me.

"We don't tell him why he's coming over. He wouldn't even know Hisagi is here." Ichigo smiled and shrugged.

"Sounds entertaining to me; sure let's do it."

"As long as they don't start punching each other then I'm fine with it." Michiru turned to Hisagi.

"You better not punch him."

"I am not the one you need to worry about. I never start shit with him." He sighed, leaning his head on my shoulder. "Rukia, if you care about me at all you'll stop this." I laughed and patted his head.

"Sorry but you guys really do need to patch things up." Again he groaned, not happy with my answer. Michiru pulled out her phone and called Renji. After a few rings he answered.

"Hey, Renji, what're you up to?" Ichigo reached over me and pushed Hisagi off my shoulder. Shuuhei gave him a hurt look.

"You're a dick." Michiru shushed them.

"Awesome, you should come hang out with me, Rukia, and Ichigo." There was a short silence while she absently nodded to herself. "Okay, see ya soon, bye Renji. Love you, too." She hung up and sat her phone on the coffee table. "Okay we need to think about how to do this." Ichigo wrapped his arm around my shoulders absently.

"You know he's going to be pretty pissed once he realizes what we did." She nodded.

"I know..." She tapped her chin. "Do you think if we trapped him in a confined area with Hisagi he'd eventually talk it out?" Hisagi shook his head.

"Do not even think about trapping me in a room with Renji."

"We'd all be there." She took another moment to consider it then nodded. "We'll do it in my room."

"It's worth a shot." Michiru stood from the couch, gesturing for us to get up.

"You guys wait in my room, Renji should be here any minute." Hisagi sighed and pushed himself off the couch. Ichigo stood also, holding his hand out to me. I grabbed his hand, clutching my cane in my other hand tightly, and leaned forward to stand. An intense pinching feeling shot through my left hip and I stopped, leaning back and letting go of Ichigo.

"You okay?" I nodded, ignoring his concern.

"I need to sit a little longer, I'll come up when Renji gets here."

"Are you sure?" I nodded. He reluctantly followed Hisagi upstairs towards Michiru's room. In all honesty, I didn't see myself getting off the couch anytime soon but I didn't want to worry anyone. I was doing my best not to panic by telling myself that it would fade into a bareable throbbing or ache that I could handle. Michiru asked about my progress with physical therapy while we waited for Renji but the conversation didn't last long. Renji showed up a few minutes after the guys went upstairs. Michiru answered the door and led him into sitting room.

"Hey Rukia, where's Ichigo." Michiru chimed in before I could respond.

"He's upstairs, I think we're going to hang out in my room until we figure out what we wanna do."

"Why don't we just swim or something?" She shook her head.

"Rukia fell out of Ichigo's truck when they got here, she can't." A look of concern fell over his face.

"Are you okay?" I held up my hands.

"I'm fine." He looked unsure. "But I might need your help up the stairs." He nodded, stepping closer to the couch. I grabbed his arm, clutched my cane and tried pushing myself off the couch again with the same result. I winced as I sat back. "Fuck." I clenched my hand into a fist, getting frustrated.

"Just let me carry you okay?" I sighed and nodded. "You need to go back to your physical therapist." He leaned over and took my cane, handing it to Michiru. Then he slid an arm around my back and under my knees, carefully lifting me off the couch. "You good?" I nodded and so he turned toward the stairs. Renji walked slowly, being extremely careful until we finally reached Michiru's room. As soon as we entered she quickly shut the door and instructed Ichigo to stand in front of it. Renji gave her a funny look and sat me on the bed gently. His expression didn't change until he noticed Hisagi sitting on the floor on the other side of the large room. Renji sighed angrily. "You fuckers." His gaze went to Michiru. "What is this about?" She held up her hands and took a step closer to him.

"Calm down, Renji." She inhaled before continuing. "It's time for you to...get over this issue with His-"

"What? Get over it? I cannot believe this is coming from _you._" His glare deepened as she furrowed her brows.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you? Why are you sticking up for him? He fucked up, he-"

"He made a mistake, Renji. You can't hold it against him for the rest of his life."

"That was a conveniently timed mistake don't you think, 'Chiru?" She glared back, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Hisagi stood and approached them, standing a few steps behind Michiru.

"Shut up, Renji." She spoke through her teeth.

"No, it's true. He got what he wanted from you and then cheated on you. Maybe if you'd admit that to yourself you could finally get rid of him." She opened her mouth to protest but Renji cut her off. "You gave him your virginity and a week later he slept with his ex-girlfriend." I noticed Michiru's eyes flicker to me momentarily as her face gained color. She was obviously embarrassed and upset.

"It was a mistake; he apologized so I forgave him. That's all I'm asking you to do."

"You're dating him again, aren't you?" She blinked, not expecting his response.

"What?" Renji's glare deepened.

"I swear, you're a fucking idiot sometimes." He looked a little hurt and my mind went back to the short period of time before the accident when Michiru and Renji were holding hands and almost acting like a couple.

"Shut the fuck up, Renji. Honestly, I don't give a shit if you forgive me or not. This really has nothing to do with you. Besides, if Michiru can forgive me then you should be able to get over it." Hisagi folded his arms looking angry.

"She's my best friend you son of a b-"

"Stop arguing!" She glanced between the two. "This is exactly why you have to do something Renji. You have to try to fix this because I can't stand either of you anymore."

"Or I could just leave and then you wouldn't have this problem, right?"

"No, Renji, don't leave."

"Why not? You've made your priorities very clear." He tried to step around her towards the door but Ichigo held his hand up, stopping him.

"Renji, stop." Ichigo glanced at Hisagi before turning back to Renji. "I totally understand why you're pissed at him. None of us were happy with him but don't you think you've done some inappropriate things since they broke up?" A confused expression fell over everyone's face.

"What are you talking about?" Ichigo shook his head.

"Don't play dumb, Renji. Rukia told me that she saw you kiss Michiru." Renji glanced back at me, not looking very happy. I tensed up, shooting Ichigo a glare. Hisagi's expression hardened.

"What?"

"I've heard that from multiple people and from what I heard, Michiru didn't act very uncomfortable with it." Her eyes widened at his last statement.

"Ichigo! What are you doing?" Ichigo smiled, laying a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, don't feel guilty about it 'Chiru. You weren't with Hisagi." Shuuhei glared down at Michiru, a hurt expression now showing on his face.

"What the hell, Michiru?" Ichigo turned to him.

"You have no right to get mad at her. Now you're all even so shut the fuck up about it and make up with each other." I slapped my hand against my forehead in disbelief.

"Oh my god, Ichigo it's- Please just shut up, stop talking." They turned at the sound of my voice. Everyone was silent as discomfort settled in the space between us. Michiru sighed, rubbing her forehead absently.

"Look, I was really hurt by your actions Hisagi...and Renji was there-" I blocked out her voice and gestured for Ichigo to come closer to the bed. He stepped around the three and leaned closer to me. I gestured for him to pick me up, wrapping my arms around his neck.

"This is a very personal conversation; let's go downstairs." He nodded and scooped me up carefully. Michiru shot us a grateful expression as Ichigo made his way towards the door. He quickly made his way down the stairs and was about to go back into the sitting room when we ran into Sayuri. She gave us a funny look, smiling slightly.

"What's going on?" Ichigo readjusted me in his arms before answering.

"Rukia fell and now she's too sore to stand." Sayuri's eyes opened, her concerned expression making her look more like Michiru than I had ever noticed before.

"Oh no, Sweety, you have to be more careful." I smiled slightly.

"I know." She patted my shoulder lightly.

"Well you're lucky to have Ichigo to carry you around until you're feeling better." Ichigo laughed at her words. She turned her eyes to him, reaching up to pat his face. "Such a reliable guy." She smiled at us again before dismissing herself and heading toward her office. Ichigo continued toward the couch, sitting me down carefully. I held my hand out to him, earning a confused look.

"What?" I blinked.

"Where's my cane?" He blinked, glancing down at my closed hand.

"I guess we left it upstairs." I smiled as he headed for the stairs.

"Hey, don't just leave me." His expression now held concern as he stopped midstride to look back at me.

"I'll be right back; you really want me to carry you up there so we can grab your cane?" I shook my head and started pushing myself off the couch. He stepped closer to the couch. "Rukia, just sit-"

"You can't carry me around until my next physical therapy appointment. I just need to suck it up and walk anyway." I pushed through the pain and stood, reaching out to grab his arm.

"Rukia, if you're in pain sit down and let me worry about it." I shook my head and used Ichigo's arm as a crutch. He pulled his arm away long enough to grab onto my arms and pick me up. He sat me on the couch quickly and stepped back. "Look, I know you're stubborn by nature but just sit this one out. I'll grab your cane. I'll let you walk out to the truck when we leave okay?" I sighed and folded my arms, nodding. He hurried up the stairs and returned quickly with a strange look on his face.

"What's wrong?"

"It is fricking tense up there." I smile slightly at his expression. "I told Michiru that we were going to head home. That was just...they were actually talking about stuff that needed talked about."

"That's good." He nodded.

"It is but we could be waiting down here for hours so we're better off going home and catching up with them later." He held his hand out to me which I took and quickly pulled myself up, not allowing any fear of pain to settle into my thoughts. I ignore the pain I did feel and started walking with Ichigo towards the door, my cane in my free hand. The entire time my hip throbbed and pinched which initially freaked me out but by the time we reached outside it was dulling. When we reached the truck Ichigo led me to the passenger side door and slowly helped me inside. I offered him a kiss on the cheek, pushing some of his longer hair off of his forehead.

"Thanks for taking such good care of me." He smiled, resting his hands and weight on the seat, his hands resting on either side of me.

"I'll take care of you as long as you let me; I love you." He kissed my forehead before resting his head on my shoulder. I rested my hands on his shoulders.

"I love you, too." After a short moment of silence he sat up and met my gaze.

"I hope this doesn't sound creepy but my dad's right; you really are my Masaki." I blinked as my mind went to Isshin's adoring rants about his deceased wife, the gigantic poster of the woman in the Kurosaki house, and his reminiscent stories about their youth. The two had one of the strongest relationships I was exposed to. All this prior knowledge of Masaki Kurosaki made Ichigo's statement extremely bold. Ichigo gave me a funny look, trying to keep a smile off his face. "That creeps you out, doesn't it?" I blinked, refocusing on him.

"No, I just...don't know what to say to that." He shrugged.

"Nothing. I didn't say it to get a response, I just wanted you to know." He smiled again before quickly kissing my lips and pulling himself out of the passenger side. After pushing the door shut he walked around the car and pulled himself in. The engine roared to life, beginning a short period of silence as Ichigo drove out of the Ogawa gates. He absently reached over and grabbed my hand once we were on the road. I squeezed his hand back as his words continued to run through my head.

-:-

**Guess what? I've officially finished high school and my summer has begun! I now have more time for writing and hopefully will be updating faster. Also, I'll have time to actually respond to your reviews! I hope you all enjoyed! I'll try to pick up the next chapter in the next few days! :)**


	24. Chapter 24

**I have some time tonight so I'm going to try and pump out some of chapter 24! The idea for this chapter came from MushroomNatsu who requested more romance between Ichigo and Rukia. So perhaps there will be some fluff in this chapter! I know I just told you all that I'll have more time for writing but this week is going to be hectic with commencement, recitals, and open houses. I have no clue when this will get posted but I'll stop ranting and begin!**

-:-

We made it back to Ichigo's house and I was able to walk into the house. A lot of the pain had subsided but I was still sore. Ichigo told Isshin and asked him what I should do. He had me stand as he checked my hip, making sure it hadn't been pushed out of place. As soon as he heard what had happened he went into doctor mode and started asking me a ton of questions about the pain. Then once he was sure that no major damage was done, he went into father mode and forced me to sit on the couch with a heating and cooling pad. Isshin told me how often I needed to change from hot to cold and then left the room. Ichigo sat down next to me, absently grabbing my hand and playing with my fingers. Isshin returned with a large comforter and tossed it over my legs. He gave Ichigo a funny look.

"You should get away from her before she gets even more hurt, Ichigo."

"Uh, it wasn't my fault." I smiled as Isshin continued to tease his son.

"Riiight, that's why she got pushed over during a fight _you_ started and then she falls out of _your_ truck." Ichigo glared at his dad, knowing that there was no validity in his statement.

"Shut up, Dad." Isshin smiled slightly, reaching over to ruffle up Ichigo's hair.

"Just make sure she doesn't do anymore damage, okay?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Ruk, you stay on the couch for a few hours, follow my directions about the heating pad and you should feel better in no time." I smiled up at him, nodding.

"Okay, thank you for your help Isshin."

"No problem, Sweety. Please be careful."

"Will do." He leaned over and kissed the top of my head before dismissing himself. Ichigo and I laid around on the couch until the afternoon rolled around. When I finally did get off the sofa my hip felt fantastic. I still needed my cane but there were virtually no aches or pains. Ichigo kept the heating pad out saying that I might need it later, in case the soreness returned. Ichigo and I spent the afternoon with his sisters, helping them prepare dinner and talking to them about school. After dinner Ichigo and I went upstairs, ending up in his room. I laid back as Ichigo sat on the edge of the bed silently. We both ended up reading as the sun went down. He eventually laid down next to me as we continued to read our own individual books. After getting through the first few chapters I fell asleep, using the novel as a pillow. The next day I woke next to Ichigo who also had his face burried in the book he was reading the night before.

Once I got up I realized that I was experiencing similar pain from the day before and decided to use the heating pad for an hour or so. Over the course of the next few days I was able to nurse away all the pain caused by my two falls. (Kon and Kisa were also feeling better; the virus they had turned out to be a 24 hour bug that came and left quickly.) At the end of the week I met with my physical therapist again who confirmed that I'd only have my cane for another two weeks, as long as there were no major set backs. In the days following my appointment I spent a lot of time with the group. Michiru had informed Ichigo and I that Renji was willing to forget about Hisagi's actions. According to her it was not easy and they ended up talking for a few hours before Hisagi and Renji came to terms. When they were together they didn't talk much and both were obviously still angry with the other but they didn't argue, which was an improvement.

Over the course of the next two weeks I spent a lot of time with friends since I was feeling so much better. I was getting to the point where I felt as if I never had surgery. I also spent a lot of time with Kisa. She and I made time every few days to do something without our boyfriends. We also carved out at least an hour of each afternoon to spend time with Byuakuya. In that time span I started to really notice the development of my friendships and relationships. I couldn't believe how much stronger I felt since I had moved, since Byu and I had settled into our new life in our new home. It had been almost nine months since Hisana died and although thinking about her still hurt, I realized that I had coped with her death without even noticing. I also realized that whenever I thought of Hisana, my mind instinctively went to Ichigo. He had a lot to do with the acceptance of my sister's death. I told him this on the ride home from my last physical therapy session, also the day I turned in my cane. When I voiced my appreciation he shrugged it off.

"I knew what you were going through, in a sense. I didn't do much."

"Yes you did; you pushed me out of my comfort zone and made me think about things I needed to think about. If it weren't for you I'd probably be moping about 'Sana's death to this day." Ichigo glanced over at me as he pulled into my neighborhood.

"It's not moping, Rukia, it's mournig. It's only been nine months, no one expects you to get over it." I shrugged off his comment as he pulled into my driveway, parking behind Byuakuya's car. Something popped into my head and I smiled up at him.

"Can you believe we've been dating for eight months?" He returned the gesture as I slipped off my seatbelt.

"Pfft, no, it's been the fastest eight months of my life." He held his hand up, pointing a finger at me. "And it is also a record for longest relationship I've ever had." My smile widened as I turned in my seat, facing him.

"Ooh, what an accomplishment." His face fell.

"It is, shut up Miss Dated-Someone-For-Ten-Months." I laughed, patting his arm teasingly.

"How long do you think this'll last?" Ichigo blinked, his expression growing serious.

"Who says it has to end?" I didn't know how to respond so I decided to make a joke out of his statement.

"Well, we both have to die eventually so it'll inevitably end at some point." He sighed.

"You're so morbid, you totally ruined that on purpose." I laughed as my hand searched for the door handle. He smiled as I pushed the door open. "So I'll pick you up tomorrow at one?" I nodded. Ichigo was so excited about my recovery and suggested we do something to celebrate my "liberation of the cane". After some discussion we decided to go to the beach. The weather was still nice and we wanted to spend some time alone since we were almost always with our friends.

"Yup, one o'clock. Bye, I'll see you tomorrow." I turned to leave but he grabbed my arm, stopping me from sliding out of the truck.

"Wait, geez, Rukia. You could die tonight and I'd never talk to you again and you're just going to leave like that?" I smiled, rolling my eyes. His grin widened as he pulled me closer and leaned down until his mouth was pressed against mine. I sat up, deepening the kiss. His hand found its way to the back of my head and I pulled back, wrapping my arms around his neck. After hugging him quickly I let go and slid back towards the door.

"Bye Ichigo." I pushed the door open and jumped out, glad that I no longer had to rely on my cane. Once the door was shut I leaned against the window and waved. He returned the gesture as he put the car in reverse, his foot remaining on the brake.

"Bye Ruk, love you."

"Love you too, see ya tomorrow." I stepped back and headed towards the door, Ichigo's noisy truck idling in the drive way until I was inside like it usually did. The rest of the afternoon I spent with Kisa. We made dinner together and afterwards did the dishes. Before I knew it it was time for bed and I was curled up under my comforter, half asleep. The next day Byuakuya woke me up, shaking me awake. I sat up after a few minutes of chatting and rubbed my eyes.

"Did you sleep okay, Byu? You look exhausted." He absently rubbed his eyes, shrugging without offering a real answer. I noted the seriousness of his expression and was immediately flooded with concern. "Byuakuya, what's wrong?"

"...Nothing, it's just...today is our ten year anniversary." My eyebrows turned down as I grabbed my brother's hand, squeezing it absently.

"I'm sorry, Byu." He shook his head.

"It's nothing to be sorry about, I just didn't get much sleep last night." I leaned over and hugged him, wrapping my arms around his neck. He returned the gesture, loosely hugging me back. I glanced toward the door and saw Kisa peering in with a concerned look on her face and gestured for her to come in. She approached the side of the bed, standing next to a sitting Byu. I pulled back and Kisa took my place, offering Byuakuya her own hug. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her carefully. "I love you girls." Kisa stood up straight, resting a hand on Byuakuya's shoulder.

"Love you, too." I nodded in agreement.

"Love you, Byu." He looked at Kisa, pushing her disheveled hair out of her face.

"What are your plans for today, since Rukia's ditching you." I smiled at his teasing tone.

"Uh, am not." Kisa smiled also, glancing out into the hallway before meeting Byuakuya's gaze.

"I dunno, I guess just hang out around the house with Kon." He nodded, also glancing out the door. His eyes quickly returned to Kisa.

"Did he find something to eat?" She shrugged lazily. My eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"Is he here?" Byuakuya turned to me, nodding.

"Yeah, he drove over here about an hour ago in Isshin's car."

"Why?"

"He said he got up early and felt like getting out of the house." I nodded, pushing the blankets away from my legs. After glancing at the clock and realizing that it was already going on noon.

"Ugh, I guess I should get up." Byuakuya and I pushed ourselves off my bed, making Kisa step back. The three of us headed towards the stairs and made our way to the living room where we found Kon curled up on the couch. He was donning basketball shorts and a tshirt as he lounged on the couch, stretching his legs onto the coffee table. The television remote was in his hand as he flipped through the channels looking bored. Once he noticed us he brightened, smiling widely.

"Hey guys." I smiled down at him, standing by the coffee table. Kisa approached the couch, sitting at his side.

"Comfortable?" Kon's smile widened at my question.

"Of course." Byuakuya stood next to me, pulling his hair into a ponytail absently.

"Did you find something to eat?"

"Yup, thanks." Byu waved it off and headed towards the kitchen, offering to fix me something for breakfast. I accepted his offer, thanked him and headed upstairs. Once I was back in my room I grabbed a small bag and threw in some extra clothes before retreiving a towel and some sunscreen from the hall closet. Then I grabbed a bathing suit out of my dresser, a pair of shorts and a tank top before heading towards my bathroom. Once I was changed, bathing suit under clothes, I put my hair up in a bun, pulling back my bangs in the process. Then I grabbed my packed bag and cell phone before heading back downstairs. When I reentered the living room I found Kisa messing with Kon's hair. She was laughing while she pinned back his hair with bobby pins in what looked like a painful fashion. He flinched slightly, laughing along with her. I smiled at the site.

"You guys are so weird." Kon glanced up at me.

"Help me, she's killing me." I laughed.

"What are you doing Kisa?" She smiled up at me, shrugging.

"Causing him pain?" Kon laughed and pushed her hands away, gently feeling the top of his head.

"You are such a bitch." Kisa light-heartedly punched his arm. Kon turned back to me and held his arms out.

"Take me with you; I don't wanna be stuck here with her all day." I rolled my eyes.

"Please, you came over here Kon. You're not stuck, you did this to yourself." He smiled, turning his eyes to Kisa.

"I know." I smiled and headed for the kitchen, sitting at the table. Byu had something fixed for me to eat so I quickly inhaled my breakfast before sitting my empty dishes in the sink. Byuakuya and I sat at the table talking about Hisana, reminiscing a little. After a few minutes of talking we moved into the living room. Kisa now sat on one end of the couch while Kon layed down, stretching out over the entire sofa. His head rested in her lap as she attemtped to braid his slightly shaggy locks. Byu smiled at her atempt as he sat on the love seat.

"I don't think that's going to work, Kisa." Kon glanced over at my brother, not moving his head.

"I told her that if she can actually get my hair in a braid, I'm getting it chopped off." Byu laughed as I took a seat on the arm of the couch by Kon's feet.

"There's nothing wrong with a man having long hair." Kon smiled, staring at the ceiling.

"Are you kidding? I could not pull off hair like yours. Not everyone is meant to have a mane." Kisa ignored them and yanked one of the three strands hard, trying to manipulate his hair into a recognizable braid. "Ow! Be careful, Kisa." She loosened her hold.

"Sorry, you okay?"

"Mmhm." With that she continued. There was a knock on the door causing me to glance at the clock. It was ten til one. Ichigo let himself in, approaching the couch and standing at my side. "Hey Ichigo." He cocked his eyebrows as he looked down at Kon.

"Hey, Kon. Watch'ya doing?"

"She's trying to braid my hair." Ichigo laughed.

"Doesn't that hurt?" Kon shrugged.

"A little." Kisa rolled her eyes.

"He's fine." Ichigo held his hands up.

"I'm sure he is; he's in good hands." She smiled slightly as she tied off the end of Kon's hair before letting go. Immediately the short pieces broke free, poking out of Kisa's work but it did resemble a braid. Kisa's smile widened.

"I got it, Kon."

"What? No way!" She nodded.

"Yup." He leaned his head back, meeting her eyes.

"Well, time for a hair cut." She shrugged.

"Want to see it?"

"Sure." Kisa grabbed her phone sitting on the coffee table and used it to snap a picture of the braid with it. "Sit up." Kon did so, his hair now sticking up where Kisa had tied it off. She held the phone out to him, earning a laugh from him.

"That's awesome." His tone gave away his sarcasm. He felt the top of his head, searching for the hair tie before pulling it off. Kon started running his hand through his hair, freeing his hair from the braid.

"Hey!" Kon smiled down at Kisa, tossing her hair tie on the coffee table. She shoved him, annoyed. Ichigo grabbed my arm and carefully pulled me off the couch.

"Ready?" I looked up at his question.

"Yeah." I turned to Byu, holding my hand up in a wave. "Bye, Byuakuya. Bye you two, don't annoy the shit out of Byu all day with your bickering." Kon smiled up at me.

"We'll try. Bye guys, have fun." Ichigo said his own goodbye and led me out the door, taking my packed bag from me.

"How long has Kon been here?" I shrugged.

"Like an hour and a half. I was asleep when he got here." Ichigo nodded as we got into his truck. I buckled as Ichigo started the engine and pulled out of the driveway. My eyes caught a glimspe at his shorts, the material looking odd, until I realized they were swimming trunks.

"Are you excited?" I met his eyes, my eyebrows turning down.

"For today?" He nodded. "Yeah, I guess. It's just the beach." He sighed, turning his gaze to the road.

"It's not just the beach, it's a day at the beach with just you and me." I smiled at his frustration.

"Oh, right; yes I am excited." He returned the gesture, glancing at me again.

"Good." He pulled out of my neighborhood and headed towards the beach. The ride was long; my house lied no where near the beach. We drove for nearly two hours before Ichigo was pulling into a parking spot. He quickly killed the engine and we slid out of his truck. Ichigo grabbed both of our bags before heading toward the sand. When I reached his side I grabbed onto his free hand and scanned the area quickly. There were at least four groups of people spaced out in the stretch of sand but there was still plenty of empty spots for us to occupy. Ichigo led me towards an empty spot and tossed our stuff down carelessly, glancing down at me.

"There are more people here than I expected." I shrugged, glancing around.

"Who cares?" He smiled.

"I didn't mean anything by it, just stating a fact." I returned the gesture as I dropped his hand.

"Let's swim, there's like no one in the water." He nodded. I kicked off my sandals and pulled off my tshirt. I then slid off my shorts and sat in the sand next to my bag, digging for sunscreen. Ichigo sat at my side, giving me a funny look.

"Is it always that easy for you to strip in front of other people?"

"Ha ha, very funny." I waved him off. "I'm not worried about it; I look like a twelve year old remember? No one's looking my way." I smiled up at him before grabbing the bottle of sunblock.

"That doesn't mean you don't look good in a bathing suit."

"What are you saying? That you're attracted to twelve year olds? You're a creep." He shoved me.

"Shut up, I was trying to compliment you." I laughed as I started rubbing some sunscreen on my arms and legs. I was about to hand the bottle over to Ichigo but stopped as a handful of sand was dumped over my head. I froze momentarily as the sand stuck to my legs and arms, weaving through my hair. I felt my anger rise and I turned around quickly to see who was behind me only to find Renji. He was smiling down at me with a strange girl at his side. My glare deepened as I pushed myself off of the sand.

"What the hell, Renji?" I shook out my hair, causing a cloud of sand to drift away from my head. "What are you doing here?" He laughed, ruffling up my hair. I grabbed his wrist and shoved him away. "I swear to God, I'll beat the shit out of you if you don't leave me alone."

"Chill, I'm just messing with you." He glanced down at Ichigo. "Hey." Ichigo shielded his eyes as he arched his neck to meet Renji's gaze.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We're doing what most people do at the beach."

"You know, we came here to get away from you." I nudged him absently. Renji smiled down at me and shrugged.

"Maybe that's exactly why we came."

"What? You are such an asshole!" He laughed, glancing back toward the girl at his side. The girl had curly short hair. It was a dark brown that matched her eyes. She was pretty tall, the top of her head almost reaching Renji's shoulder. She donned a tan two piece bathing suit and black flip flops. A smile appeared on her face as her eyes turned down towards Ichigo.

"Hey Ichi." She waved lazily before she turned her eyes to me, offering me her friendly grin. I returned the gesture, not recognizing her.

"Hey, Mahana." My mind flashed back to the conversation Ichigo and I had about his ex-girlfriends. Ichigo had dated her before. I turned my smile on him as his words ran through my head: _She just gets around_. Ichigo gave me a funny look before turning his attention back to Renji. "Did you seriously come here with the intention to ruin our good time?"

"What? We're not going to ruin anything; if anything we're inhancing your day at the beach."

"Riiight." Ichigo grabbed my arm and pulled himself off the ground. "You're a piece of work, Renji." Renji playfully punched Ichigo's arm.

"Thank you." He turned his head again, this time revealing Tatsuki and Kiba. They walked towards us, Tatsuki absently holding onto Kiba's arm. Kiba gave us a funny look.

"Hey, guys. I didn't know you two were coming too."

"Hey." Ichigo greeted them as I started brushing the sand off my legs. "Hey Tat, how're you feeling?" She smiled and shrugged.

"I'm fine, thanks. What about you, Rukia? How's walking going?" I laughed and also shrugged.

"It's pretty good, getting easier everyday."

"That's awesome. I'm glad you finally got rid of that cane." I nodded in agreement. Mahana's eyebrows turned down.

"Why did you have a cane?"

"I was in a car accident." Her eyes widened.

"Oh, you were the third person?" I nodded. She absently grabbed Renji's arm, giving me a sympathetic look. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"Thanks." Renji shook Mahana off and stepped closer to us.

"Are we gonna swim or what?" I rolled my eyes, stepping out of his way.

"Go ahead." He shook his head and grabbed my waist, hoisting me up quickly. He started towards the water, earning an annoyed sigh. "Renji, I haven't finished putting sunscreen on."

"You'll be fine." I uselessly reached a hand out to Ichigo who smiled. He cupped his hand to his mouth and yelled to Renji.

"Be careful; don't drop her!" Renji held his hand up, offering Ichigo a thumbs up. I glared at my boyfriend, flipping him the bird. We finally reached the water as Renji's feet and legs were emersed. He acted like he was going to let go so I tightly wrapped my arms around his neck.

"If you drop me I"ll kick your ass, Renji." He laughed as he continued into the water.

"Come on, it's just water. You won't get hurt." He loosened his grip again. I used my foot to push myself higher.

"**Renji**." His smile widened as he wrapped his arms around me again. We reached the water until it was to our shoulders. I pushed myself away from him and started treading the water. We glanced towards the sand. The others were applying sunscreen. I took the oppurtunity to get Renji's perspective on his conversation with Hisagi. "So Renji," he turned to his name, "what'd you and Hisagi talk about at Michiru's house?" He smiled and rolled his eyes.

"He apologized for everything, I apologized for acting like a dick, and Michiru apologized to both of us." My eyebrows turned down.

"For what?"

"She apologized to Hisagi for her 'behavior' towards me. And she apologized to me for giving me the wrong ideas." He sighed. "I'm still mad that she got back together with him." I smiled.

"Because you want her?" He laughed again, nodding.

"If you must know, yes."

"You've liked Michiru for a long time, haven't you?" He gave me a skeptical look.

"Ichigo told you, didn't he?" I smiled again.

"Well, it wasn't _that_ hard to figure out." My hip started to feel sore so I grabbed Renji's shoulder for some support. He gave me a worried look and instinctively reached out, grabbing my waist.

"You okay?" I nodded.

"Mmhm." He waited it out for a moment before continuing our conversation.

"To be honest, I've had a major crush on her since junior high but we were always friends. Then once sophomore year rolled around and Hisagi started hanging out with us she just...fell for him. I should've accepted it then that we weren't going to be together. I dunno, I just saw an opportunity and for awhile I thought she had feelings for me too but I guess I was wrong."

"Aw, I'm sorry, Renji." He smiled, rolling his eyes again.

"Don't be, just set me up with one of your friends from your old school." I laughed, raising my eyebrows slightly.

"Well, Renji, the only friend I've kept in touch with is Grimmjow. Do you want me to set you up with him?"

"That guy who kissed you? No thanks." He held up his free hand. "First of all, Ichigo would kill me and secondly I'm not gay, but thank you."

"Sorry but I don't talk to any girls from my old school. I could set you up with my cousin." He thought it over momentarily.

"That chick we met before you and Ichigo were dating?" I nodded. "No thanks, she came off as a spoiled bitch."

"She is."

"Uh, then why'd you offer?" I shrugged.

"That's the only other person I thought of." Ichigo and the others approached us. Ichigo glanced down at Renji, his eye catching Renji's hand resting on my waist.

"Chill, dude, she can only tread water for so long." I smiled and held my arms out to Ichigo. He grabbed my waist, supporting my weight. I rested an arm on his shoulder as Kiba nudged Renji's arm.

"Yeah right, you were feeling her up."

"Shut up, Kiba." He smiled at me, obviously teasing. "If he felt me up I would've punched him in his cocky face." Renji laughed, splashing water towards me.

"Damn, Rukia, after I saved you from drowning."

"Pfft, saved me? You're full of shit." I splashed him back. Kiba grabbed Tatsuki's arm and started pulling her into deeper water. I squirmed in Ichigo's grip. He let go and I made my way closer to the sand, until I could stand.

"Are you okay?" I nodded, sitting in the sand with water up to my belly button. Ichigo stepped closer to me and sat in the sand next to me. In the water Mahana was tugging on Renji's arm, trying to get his attention. He pulled his arm away and looked down at her. I laughed to myself and turned to Ichigo.

"So, that's your ex-girlfriend?" He sighed, turning to me.

"Yup." A louder laugh escaped me.

"You sound ashamed."

"I kind of am, look at her. Do you see how desperate she is; I don't even know _why_ I would've dated her." I patted his arm.

"She seems nice, even if she is desperate." He shrugged.

"I guess. So is Renji hooking up with her or something? He doesn't act like it."

"How should I know?"

"I dunno; what were you guys talking about before?"

"Michiru." He nodded.

"Oh." Ichigo leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out into the water. In front of us we watched as a game of chicken broke out. Renji kneeled down so Mahana could sit on his shoulders. Tatsuki seemed to refuse to get on Kiba's shoulders so after a few minutes of bickering he got on hers. Ichigo laughed.

"Holy crap, how can she hold him?"

"Tatsuki's a boxer." I gave him a funny look.

"Really?" He nodded. I turned back to the game. Tatsuki seemed to have no issue handling Kiba's weight. Kiba took it easy on Mahana, obviously not shoving her very hard. I absently grabbed Ichigo's arm, leaning my head against him. He looked down at me.

"I'm pretty pissed at Renji."

"Why?" My eyebrows turned down.

"Because, he came knowing that we were trying to spend some time alone." I smiled and shrugged.

"We can always leave early and do something else."

"Byuakuya told me you loved the beach, that's why I decided to come. I don't want to have to leave early. I'd rather ditch them and find another spot." I laughed.

"Ichigo, that's not very nice."

"So?" He smiled down at me. "Why do we have to be nice all the time? It's just Renji."

"It's not just Renji, you jerk. What about Tatsuki and Kiba?" He sighed, slouching forward. My smile widened as I leaned forward to kiss his cheek. He smirked, pressing his lips against mine. I pulled back, leaving about three inches between us.

"I love you, Rukia."

"I love you, too." I closed the distance between us, kissing his lips again. We pulled apart in time to hear a loud splash. Renji had lost his balance in this particular game of chicken causing Mahana to fall off his shoulders. After helping her up, Renji wrapped an arm around his rib cage. He waved off something Kiba said and started heading towards us. When he was close enough I asked him if he was okay.

"Yeah, just a little sore. With all the casts and bandages gone I sometimes forget that I'm not one hundred percent better. It doesn't help that Mahana's a cow."

"Renji!" He laughed.

"I'm just kidding." He looked down at Ichigo. "I see you're brooding, do you want us to leave?"

"No." Again Renji laughed.

"Yes you do." Ichigo shook his head but I spoke up.

"Don't leave." He held his hands up.

"We did sort of intrude on your plans. If Ichigo really wants us to, we could at least find another spot."

"Seriously, you guys are fine." Ichigo looked up at him.

"Okay." He sat down in front of us, stretching his legs down in front of us.

"Oh, did I tell you that Kaede's back? Naomi finally scrapped together his bail money and brought his sorry ass home two days ago." Renji's expression hardened at the news.

"Does Kon know?" Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah he was getting ready to take Kisa home when they showed up. When his dad started talking to him, Kon ignored him and got in the truck. He drove away without making eye contact."

"Good for Kon. Did Kaede get pissed?"

"Yeah, I just glared at him and went inside." Renji nodded. The others headed towards us, all taking a seat in the water. Kiba, sitting on my other side, leaned forward and looked at Ichigo.

"Did you guys happen to bring anything to eat? I'm starving." Ichigo laughed and shook his head.

"We did not." A disappointed look registered on Kiba's face. "You know there are concessions, you can buy something to eat." He nodded.

"I know, it's just expensive." Tatsuki nudged him.

"Stop bumming." He smiled at her before leaning back on his hands. Renji stood, gesturing for Kiba to stand also.

"Come on, I'll get us all something to eat." Kiba pushed himself out of the water. "Come on Ichigo." Ichigo sighed but got up reluctantly. Mahana also stood, following them as they left for the concessions. Tatsuki rolled her eyes. I smiled, patting her arm.

"So how have you been Tatsuki?" She returned the gesture, leaning back on her palms.

"I've been pretty good."

"How have you dealt with your miscarriage?" I tried to ask the question as gently as possible.

"It's still hard to think about but I've accepted it. I mean, as much as I wish the baby didn't die, it did have some good. I don't have to stress over a baby but I wish I could've had him." I nodded, unsure of what to say. I had no idea what she was going through.

"I can't imagine how hard that was..." She smiled, shrugging.

"Well, it also taught me a very good lesson. I'm reclaiming my virginity and holding onto it." I laughed at her expression.

"That's good. I'm glad you were able to take something from that experience." She nodded.

"So..." I raised my eyebrows questioningly.

"So?"

"Look, I normally wouldn't ask this but Ichigo's my best friend and you're the best girlfriend he's gonna get so...I guess I'll ask."

"What?"

"Are you guys...having-"

"Sex? Pfft, no." She smiled, letting out a nervous laugh.

"Oh, just thought I'd ask. He slept with half of his other girlfriends but I figured you guys weren't just because you're different than them." I shrugged.

"I've been a virgin this long, I just don't see the point in giving in now. I'm eighteen; I'll be married soon enough. Besides, I don't know what I'm missing, right?" She laughed again, sounding more comfortable with the topic.

"That's a mature way of thinking." I shrugged.

"My sister pounded that stuff into my head at a young age. Besides, I'm a little scared how Byu would react if he found out that I did have sex. He's been acting like twenty times more protective over me since Hisana died."

"Yeah, he's nice but he totally gives off that kind of vibe." I laughed. Tatsuki glanced toward the concession stand. I turned also, smiling at the sight. Mahana was hugging onto Renji's arm while he paid for the food. Renji looked really annoyed but gently shook her off again. She glared up at him before placing her hands on her hips. She started saying something; it looked like she was complaining about his actions. After a few moments of talking, Mahana waved him off and turned to Ichigo, tugging on his wrist. He looked down at her, cocking an eyebrow. She started talking to him, her grip still on his wrist. Tatsuki and I sat in silence as we watched them. Mahana's hand slid down until she was holding onto his hand. Ichigo immediately pulled away, looking annoyed. She stepped closer to him, poking him in the stomach and teasing him continuously. Renji snapped on her, glaring down at her angrily. Tatsuki laughed next to me as Mahana folded her arms. She took a step away from Ichigo and glared off.

Once they recieved the food, the four of them headed back towards us. Instead of coming back to us they laid out a few towels and gestured for us to head their way. Tatsuki stood and helped me up. We walked over to them and sat down. They offered us some of the food they had purchased but I declined, not very hungry. Tatsuki shared some of Kiba's food as we sat in silence. After a few moments Renji spoke up.

"Did anyone tell you about Michiru's black out yesterday?" Ichigo leaned back on his hands, offering Renji a confused expression.

"No, what happened?"

"She just...blanked out and started asking me where she was. The last thing she had remembered was being home; she forgot like four hours."

"What'd she do?" Renji took a drink from his water bottle before answering.

"She didn't do anything. She did freak out and had me get her dad but there wasn't anything she could do. The doctors said that they don't really understand why they happened because they couldn't see any damage to her brain." He shrugged.

"Have you been having any issues?" I pulled my legs into Indian style as I spoke.

"Not really...I mean I have noticed that it's harder for me to remember stuff for school. When our history teacher started throwing those dates at us in last Wednesday's lesson I knew I was going to be screwed over with that class." He sighed, running his hand through his hair absently. "It's annoying because I used to be good at the shit but," he shrugged. "At least I'm not experiencing anything like Michiru." Tatsuki patted his knee.

"If you're having trouble we'll help. All you have to do is ask." Renji smiled down at her and nodded.

"I know."

They steadily finished their food, keeping up conversation all the while. Once they were finished we all stood and Renji started shoving the towels back into our bags. He was about to get back in the water when he got a phone call. Apparently he never let his mother where he was going and was being summoned home. He sighed and apologized to the others. They had to leave with him because he was their ride. When they left Tatsuki hugged both Ichigo and myself. Mahana did the same but instead of hugging me she offered me a wave, which I was glad for. As soon as they left Ichigo led me to the water and we sat in the sand as the water licked our feet and legs. We were silent for a while. I rested my head against his arm absently as I watched some strangers out in the water. After a few minutes of sitting quietly I sat up and looked up at him.

"Wanna build a sand castle?" Ichigo smiled glancing towards our belongings.

"We don't have anything to use."

"Our hands." His smile widened as he nodded.

"True, sure lets do that." I stood and headed towards the dry sand. He followed, his hands held out and cupping as much water as possible. I quickly pushed together a mound of sand allowing him to kneel over and tip his hands, watering the pile. He went back and got one more handful of water. Once the sand was moist enough to stick together we began forming our castle. At first we worked in silence, forming the base of our creation. At one point the sand had gotten a little dry so Ichigo got up without a word and scooped up more water. When we started added details to the castle Ichigo spoke up.

"Can I ask you something, Rukia?" I glanced up at him, nodding. "Where do you see us in the future?" I blinked.

"...Like-"

"Our relationship." I glanced down at the sand castle while I thought over his question.

"Uh, together?" Ichigo laughed loudly, causing me to turn my eyes back to him.

"Well, yeah, I'd hope so." He smiled down at me, his hands no longer working. "I'm just asking because I've never dated anyone this long and I don't really know what comes next." I furrowed my brows.

"And you think I do?"

"Well, you dated that one guy-"

"For a long time, I know but I didn't feel the same way about him. That was never very serious."

"Then why'd you date him for so long?" I shrugged.

"I guess it just became comfortable. I wasn't happy being with him but he didn't make me unhappy so we just...stayed together." Ichigo's eyebrows turned down.

"Did he feel the same about you?"

"I dunno, he acted pretty upset when I did break up with him."

"What made you finally do it?" I glanced down at our drying sand castle before answering.

"Hisana got sick and he kept coming over to 'check on me'. It was really nice of him but at the time it made me angry. So one night when he was visiting I started yelling at him, in front of Byu and Hisana, and told him to leave me alone. After he left Hisana scolded me which made me more mad so I hid in my room. The next day he came up to me in school and I told him that I meant everything I said and broke up with him." My mind went back to that day, breaking up with him during passing period.

"Wow..." I smiled slightly.

"I know, I was really bitchy about it." He nodded.

"Kinda." I laughed. "But I understand why; I'm sure you were torn up about hearing of Hisana's cancer." I nodded, remembering my fall back into my rage issues.

"During those first few months everything made me furious. I was unbareable to live with and despite how scared I was of losing her, my sister and I fought constantly." I sighed. "God, thinking back on it now I can't believe how selfish I'd been." Ichigo reached over and grabbed my hand.

"Rukia, you were scared."

"So were they; Hisana was the one with cancer, she's the one dead." I shook my head. "Why are we talking about this?" I managed a smile as I pulled my hand away from him.

"We _were_ talking about us."

"Ah, right." I leaned back on my hands. "So what were you asking?" I waved my hand. "You're wondering what comes next?" He nodded, earning another shrug. "I have no idea, Ichigo. I mean, we're too young to live together, get engaged, or have children."

"...But, can you see us doing those things?"

"Yes." His expression gave away how surprised he was. I didn't blame him for being surprised; I was surprised. I was never good at connecting with people, especially guys. I never thought I'd want to get married or have a family. I also never thought I'd love someone as much as I loved Ichigo. As if he had no idea of what to say he offered me a nod. I smiled. "I love you, Ichigo and if you want to get married in the future then we'll get married."

"And have tons of kids?" His expression now held his amusement.

"Pfft, we might have _a_ child."

"What? We can't have one. We have to have at least two so they each have someone to play with." I laughed, amused with his logic. He sounded like a stereotypical woman.

"We'll worry about that later. We're not having kids until we're married anyways."

"Well, we have to have sex to have kids." My eyebrows rose, taken off guard from his statement.

"That'll happen eventually I guess." I held my hands up defensively. "_Maybe_." Ichigo laughed and turned back to our sand castle.

"There's no rush." We continued on our sand castle after Ichigo fetched some more water. Once we had finished we snapped a picture of it on our phones and started kicking it down. After it was demolished we decided to take a walk. The beach had cleared drastically, leaving a long stretch of sand at our disposal. Ichigo gathered our bags and took them to the truck, sitting our belongings in the front seat. Once he was back on the sand he grabbed my hand and started walking closer to the water. When our feet were covered we began our stroll. His grip on my hand tightened as we continued in silence.

"What was up with Kon and Kisa this morning?" Ichigo spoke, breaking the silence.

"What do you mean?"

"I guess it was really Kisa, she was acting different." My eyebrows turned down as I thought about my interaction with her that morning. A mental image of Kon laying over her lap came to mind as she braided his hair.

"Because she was having a good time?" Ichigo laughed.

"I wouldn't say it like that but I guess."

"She's just more comfortable. That's Kisa deep down, she's just never been allowed to be herself. She's probably never been this happy before either." He nodded, a serious expression residing on his face.

"True." Ichigo glanced down at me. "You know, he doesn't tell me anything anymore."

"What do you mean?" He shrugged.

"We've always told each other everything; I feel like we never talk about anything important anymore." I smiled, tugging on his hand.

"Aw, did Kisa steal your brother?" Smiling, he turned his gaze back towards the water.

"Shut up."

"Does it really bother you?" He hesitated before nodding. "Have you talked to Kon about it?"

"No, I haven't seen him a lot lately."

"Well, when we go home steal him from Kisa." I held up my free hand, pointing my finger. "You two should do what Kisa and I do, we ban both of you from the house at least once every four days and just watch movies or talk or go out for coffee." Ichigo glanced down at me.

"That's what you're doing when you say you can't hang out?"

"Yup, I'll admit it, it's not like it's a secret." His smile widened. The clouds caught my eyes as they slowly shifted into dark subtle swirls. A patch of them drifted over until they were covering the sun, darkening the sky drastically. "It looks like it's going to rain."

"If it rains the weather is going to be unbareable. It's already eighty degrees out here." Despite the look of the sky we continued, walking further from the truck. Not two minutes after our discussion on the weather it started pouring rain. At first it was only a few sprinkles but it soon started coming down in sheets. I stepped closer to Ichigo, hoping he'd offer me some protection from the rain. He looked down at me as the rain started soaking through our bathing suits and drenching our hair. "I think the beach is telling us to go home." I laughed, turning back towards the truck. "Wanna run it?" I shook my head.

"Hell no, but you can run. Knowing my luck I'd slip and hurt my hip again." Ichigo stopped and told me he'd carry me. He quickly kneeled down until I could jump on his back, wrapping my arms around his neck. After tucking his arms under my legs to support my weight he started sprinting towards the truck. I burried my face in his shoulder, shielding my eyes from the downpour. Once we made it to the truck he sat me down and started searching for his keys. I went to the passenger door as he unlocked the truck and jumped in. I handed Ichigo a towel before wrapping the other one around my self. He quickly dried off, running the towel over his head quickly. I leaned back against the seat, waiting. After another moment Ichigo tossed the towel on the floor.

"Well, I'd offer to take you somewhere to grab some dinner but I don't think they'll let us in like this." I smiled and shrugged.

"That's okay, we can go to my place. I'm sure Byu will fix us something." He nodded, starting the engine.

"So, did you have fun?" I nodded, absently reaching over to grab his hand. He squeezed my hand in return. "I'm glad. It was nice to have _some_ time to ourselves."

"I know, we'll have to do this more often for the sake of your sanity." Ichigo laughed loudly.

"We definitely will." He leaned over, pressing his lips against mine. My eyes slid shut as our mouths moved together. I leaned in, deepening the kiss. I barely noticed as my towel slid off my shoulders, freeing my arms. Ichigo pulled me closer, never breaking contact. Once I felt the heat of his hand against my bare waist I pulled back slightly, pushing his hand away. I finally broke the kiss and nudged him toward the wheel. He smiled, kissed my forehead, and turned his attention back to driving. I rewrapped the towel around myself. Before putting the truck in reverse to back out Ichigo turned to me.

"Remember what I said, there's no rush. I'll wait until you're ready." With that he backed out of our parking spot and headed towards my house, beginning our two hour drive home. I smiled, telling myself that I couldn't find anyone more perfect. Ichigo's eyes met mine as a smile spread over his face as well. "I love you, Rukia." He reached over to grab my hand.

"Love you too."

-:-

**DONE! Yay! I've been crawling through this chapter for a loooong time. I apologize for the wait but here it is. You may all notice that in the next chapter things begin to wind down as the story comes to and end! :( Please review! Hope you enjoyed!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Back and off to a very late start. Well not only is this chapter 25 but this is the second to last chapter if everything works out the way I plan. So without further excuses, I'll begin!**

-:-

The next four months flew by as school kicked off, for me at least. Before I knew it the first semester was ending as we entered the new year. During those months Mei Mei had her baby, little Shiomi Rukia Kuchiki. That was in October. In late November Katsurou and Mei Mei got married, their wedding taking place outside despite the thin layer of snow.

At the wedding Mei Mei introduced her best friend and maid of honor to Byuakuya and I. The woman must have gotten the wrong impression from Mei Mei's introduction because once her friend was gone the maid of honor started flirting with Byuakuya. I stepped in, angrily telling her to back off. I had noticed this sort of thing in the last year, especially the first few months following the car accident. Byu was attracting a lot of attention from women. Every time one would approach him in a flirty manor I had to run them off because Byuakuya either didn't notice or didn't have the heart to act anything but a gentleman. I on the other hand I didn't care what they thought of me; seeing Byu with anyone but Hisana hurt. It sent a tinge of sadness through me and made me wonder if he would ever move on and remarry. Everyone told me to leave Byu alone, everyone being Katsurou, Shenji, Kensei, and Isshin. Of course they stuck up for that; they claimed he needed adult interaction whenever they witnessed me shooing off women from my brother or whenever the topic was being discussed. I didn't care what anyone said; there was no way I was going to sit around and watch as my brother started a relationship with some other woman.

Despite my rude attitude, Byuakuya seemed to appreciate the sentiment behind my actions. He lightly scolded me whenever I overreacted but our relationship was not affected by these occurances. He started taking more time off of work to hang out with Kisa and I. He helped out with school a lot, helping us study when needed and even explaining most of my government curriculum. Byuakuya also started watching Shiomi whenever Uncle Katsurou and Mei Mei were too busy. I could tell by the look on his face that he enjoyed every second with that baby. Kon was right; Byu was meant to be a father. Once the baby started coming to our house on a more regular basis, Kon and Ichigo started suggesting we hang out with Byuakuya. They both lugged around Shiomi, offering to "take her off Byuakuya's hands". Their behavior really surprised Byu. He was even more surprised when Kisa refused to hold her. She claimed she didn't know how to connect with something that couldn't communicate and had no use for babies. This nearly broke Kon's heart as we were all informed on her very strong opinion about children. Despite her fuss, Kon was eventually able to get Kisa to hold Shiomi although it didn't do much good. Kisa was soon bored and gave her back to Byu.

It was pretty amazing watching my "niece" grow up in those first few months of her life. It was also great how she brought Katsurou and Byuakuya closer. My uncle knew how much Byu had wanted a child; he and Hisana tried for years before she finally got pregnant. Katsurou also knew how affected Byuakuya was by the loss of his unborn daughter. Most people sympathized for Byuakuya because he lost his wife; not many people remembered June. In those four months from September to January Byuakuya and Katsurou started seeing each other more often. They also started making plans together, partially because Mei Mei and I pushed them to do so. Regardless, the two started bonding more, getting along in a way I had never witnessed before.

In those four months our group of friends started to split up, a few distances growing without much notice. We didn't do much as a group during the first few weeks of school. I thought that was because a few of us were just getting started with senior year and the others were busy looking at colleges. Maybe that was it but it soon turned into split lunches and long periods of time without talking to certain people. Renji started hanging out with a few guys from another class and spent a drastically smaller amount of time with us. Tatsuki's family made a rash decision to move, though not far, they no longer resided in our school district. After the move Kiba started hanging out with a different group of people. Mina barely spoke to us at all and was, for some unknown reason, switched out of our class in the middle of first semester. Michiru was extremely busy with college prep, making that her number one priority with Hisagi sitting as priority number two. She didn't even realize how split up her little family had become. Soon there was no one left but Kon, Kisa, Ichigo, and myself. I couldn't believe how lightly some of them were taking it; for me it was painful. This time it wasn't me leaving my friends, it was my friends leaving me. Ichigo and Kon were just as upset and tried multiple times to make plans involving everyone but it never worked. Someone always had an excuse as to why they couldn't. Sometimes it was because of work, other times they had scholarships and applications to fill out. Once in a while everyone would say yes but then most would bail at the last second. Eventually they gave up and settled for working on college prep; spending most afternoons with Kisa and I.

Even though we were sort of abandoned by our friends, the multiple relationships between the four of us continued to strengthen. I noticed Kon and Kisa spending more time together without Ichigo or I to invade. They made plans without even bothering to tell me and more than once did I wake up to find Kon downstairs, spending the early hours of many Saturday mornings with Kisa. They were definitely getting more serious. More specifically Kisa was getting more serious. She wasn't just attached to Kon because he was one of the first people to show her affection and consideration. She admitted to me, after much convincing, that she thought she was falling in love with him. However, she was a nervous wreck, claiming that she expected to live her life alone because of her people issues. I laughed at her anxiety, observing her with gentle humor, and reassured her that there was nothing to worry about. I told her my honest opinion. I told her that Kon would never do anything to intentionally hurt her and that she shouldn't worry about it. She should enjoy the feeling of loving Kon, not stress about the impact her feelings could have. Although I know she still worries, she seemed to calm and after our talk I noticed her relax around him. She started reaching out to him instead of him clinging to her. Kisa started pulling closer to him emotionally and I was ecstatic to see the continuous progress in their relationship.

Our friendships grew as well. Not only did I notice Kisa getting closer to Kon, she started to feel more comfortable with Ichigo, speaking freely in front of him. His relationship with Kon was also improving, especially after I forced them to talk about their "communication" issues. Kon and I also grew closer, making some time for us to talk on a regular basis. The four of us continued to spend most of our free time together but that didn't make up for the fact that we were missing our other friends.

One day in the second week of January I was surprised when Renji approached Ichigo and I during lunch. He waved lazily and greeted us as if sitting with us during lunch was normal. Ichigo smiled, looking happy to have Renji there.

"Hey guys, how was that math test for you?" He leaned against the locker next to Ichigo's, waiting patiently next to me.

"It was okay, not as bad as I expected it to be."

"I totally bombed it. I slept through all those lessons." Ichigo rolled his eyes. I couldn't contain my laughter, nudging him.

"Renji, you do want to graduate right?" He laughed, pushing himself off the wall.

"Of course I do. However, I don't want to be forced to learn calculus." Ichigo shut his locker and turned, glancing down the hall towards Kon's locker. Kisa was already leading him down the hallway in our direction. She gave Renji a weird glance, almost looking pissed off at him. He smiled down at her, tapping her chin gently. "Hey Kisa, how're you?" She pushed his hand away.

"What are you doing here?" His eyebrows turned down.

"Damn, harsh. I thought I'd have lunch with you guys today, is that a crime?" Still, his face held an amused expression.

"It's _unusual_." Renji turned from their conversation as Hisagi and Michiru aslo headed our way. He waved, offering them the same lazy greeting. Michiru smiled happily.

"Hi guys! I saw a pretty big empty spot in the commons, want to eat there?" Ichigo shrugged, without voicing his opinion. That was the only feedback she recieved so she smiled, rolling her eyes, and headed towards the commons area. As we passed a window I saw the icy rain coming down, now heavier than it had been that morning. The temperature was pretty low for January but the wheather was pretty bad. We had already had two "snow" days where the roads were too dangerous for the buses and upperclassmen to drive on.

In the commons we pushed together two small tables and pulled up enough chairs, sitting under the glass portion of the ceiling. The rain tapped against the school savagely, pounding and thumping until it drowned out the voices of the few students there. We talked louder than usual, trying to speak above the noise. After just a few minutes of conversation a group of Renji's friends approached the table, looking irritated. A tall girl with long strawberry blonde hair glued her hands to her hips as she looked down at him.

"What the hell, Renji?" He turned at the sound of her voice.

"...What?"

"You ditched us, you could've at least told us where you were." He rolled his eyes, glancing at Hisagi who seemed to understand his frustrations.

"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were my mother, Rangiku."

"Don't give me that shit, you could've at least invited us along." Renji waved her off, turning back to the table. A few of them pulled up chairs, sitting lunch down on any empty spot on the table. One of the guys, a skinny, lanky kid, squeezed his way between Ichigo and I. Trying to hide my frustration, I politely slid over to offer him more room. At the same time I was taking space from Hisagi but I felt more comfortable with him. Michiru pushed herself away from the table and asked me if I'd go with her to buy a drink. I nodded, gladly standing and invited Kisa to come also. We left without another word once Michiru had dug some change out of her school bag. She led us down the hall, glancing back as a few of Renji's friends followed about fifteen feet behind us.

"I'm sorry about them, they've always been this way." She glanced towards Kisa and I, speaking quietly.

"You know them?" She shrugged.

"A little, they've invaded some of our plans before." A laugh escaped her as she recalled something. "One summer a few of them, one being that Rangiku girl, showed up at my house because they knew Renji was there. I couldn't just tell them no, so I let them in. They talked the entire time, I don't think Renji and I had a single conversation after they showed up, at least until they left." Her smile grew as she turned towards the vending machine. I glanced at the two people following us as they continued to step closer to us. One of the the two was the skinny guy who sat next to me. He had black hair that layed in a feminine stlye; he had feathers laced in a short braid that laid off to the side. Once he realized I was glancing their way he planted his hands on his hips, similarly to how Rangiku had earlier, and glared down at me.

"Do you need something?" I decided to ignore how much he annoyed me, simply rolling my eyes and turning away from him. Michiru glanced up at him quickly before turning to me. When nothing else was said she turned back to her juice options. I could feel that kids scrutinizing gaze on me causing a glare to form on my brow. After a few moments of silence he spoke up, sounding surprised. "You are the two from the car accident." Both Michiru and I turned to look at him, a puzzled expression taking over the angry one that resided there moments before.

"...We are..." I wasn't sure what the point of his statement was or what he expected us to say. An expression fell over his face, an emotion showing that I couldn't name. He looked both furious and upset.

"You know, because of you two- you _three_, I lost my best friend." I blinked, guilt rushing through me. Michiru frowned, glancing away momentarily before turning back to him.

"I'm so sorry." His expression grew cold, almost bitter.

"Pfft, you couldn't care less. I know you hated Ikkaku." She shook her head.

"No I didn't-" He shoved her back, nearly knocking her into the wall before stepping closer to her.

"Don't try to give me your sympathetic bullshit, I know you hated him. You weren't even affected by his death. All you care about is that Renji is alive." Michiru cringed away, stepping back as he towered over her. I was about to jump in but Kisa beat me to it, looking pissed off. She grabbed the collar of his shirt, pulling him down until he was eyelevel.

"Stay away from her; try to intimidate her again and you'll regret it." She spoke through her teeth. He tried to brush her off which only made her more angry. Kisa tightened her grip on his collar and pushed him back, shoving him into the vending machine. The kid, Yumichika, looked down at her in shock. His friend tried to calm everyone down as we stood there surrounded by tension. Kisa let him go and stepped back, giving him a threatening and unapologetic look. Michiru mumbled another apology, trying to convince the kid that Ikkaku's death mattered to her. Without a second thought, Yumichika turned, smacking her in the face. Luckily before anything could be said or done Renji approached with Hisagi a step behind. They did not look happy. Renji shoved his way throught the group of people until he was towering over Yumichika.

"What the fuck did you just do?" Hisagi approached Michiru, asking her if she was okay. He looked just as pissed as Renji but kept his cool. Renji grabbed the front of Yumichika's shirt. This time the kid was yanked higher rather than being pulled down to Kisa's eye-level. Renji held him by his collar while Yumichika's feet dangled a foot from the ground. "Why did you put your hands on her." Michiru nudged Renji's arm, her face was red from impact.

"Renji, please put him down." Instead of listening to her, Renji shook Yumichika roughly. I tried to gain Renji's attention also to keep him from doing anything stupid.

"Renji, stop. He was just fussing about Ikkaku and took his anger out on Michiru. Don't get suspended over something so stupid." After a few moments of glaring at him, Renji finally let go of Yumichika, dropping him carelessly onto the floor. He threatened to beat the shit out of the kid if he ever saw Yumichika talking to Michiru again. Instead of taking Renji seriously, Yumichika picked himself up, folded his arms and scoffed. Hisagi grabbed Michiru's hand and started dragging her down the hall. She wiped at her eyes as she mumbled about her juice. Renji laughed quietly as he led us back towards the commons area.

"Are you alright?" She nodded, absently touching her face.

"I just feel bad..." Renji looked down at her, a look of concern on his face.

"Don't." She didn't respond, simply continued towards our extra large lunch group. Once Rangiku noticed us all sitting with nothing to show from our trip she spoke up.

"I thought you guys were getting something to drink." Renji gave her a cold look.

"You better keep Yumichika away frome me; I will beat the shit out of him if he says one word." Rangiku's eyebrows turned down.

"What happened?"

"He hit Michiru." She blinked as she paused. After a few moments she started laughing loudly.

"He _hit on her_?" Her laughter grew louder, earning an angry look from Renji. He smacked her over the head, not hitting her hard enough to hurt her.

"No, you idiot. He hit her across the face." The girl froze momentarily, her expression softening.

"Oh, I'm sorry 'Chiru. He's still really sensitive about Ikkaku." Michiru nodded, smiling softly.

"I understand." Renji turned his glare from Michiru then back to Rangiku.

"Don't stick up for what he did. He started shit with her because she'd never retaliate." When Rangiku again tried to defend Yumichika Kisa spoke up, giving the girl an icy glare.

"He cornered her and hovered over her." Rangiku blinked before returning Kisa's angry gaze.

"He just lost his bestfriend."

"That wasn't Michiru's fault. If I see him pull that crap again _I'll _beat the shit out of him." Silence filled the table for a moment as everyone took in Kisa's threat. Kon grabbed her hand without a word. The look on Kisa's face told everyone, even those who didn't know her, that she was dead serious. After about ten minutes Renji's friends pushed away from the table, telling Renji goodbye before leaving. Only then were we able to start a conversation and ease the tension at the table. The rest of lunch was calm and nice; it was the first time we had sat down as a group in weeks, although we were missing Tatsuki and Kiba. After lunch we all stood and split up, dispersing to our own lockers. I followed Ichigo to his, our fingers loosely intertwined. Once we were far enough away from Kon and Kisa I tugged on his hand and motioned for him to lean closer.

"Holy crap, when that guy got in Michiru's face Kisa grabbed him by the shirt collar and shoved him into the vending machine. It was awesome." Ichigo blinked, looking surprised.

"Seriously?" I nodded as we approached his locker. He started twisting the knob, searching for his combination.

"Yeah, I thought she was going to start pounding on him or something." Ichigo laughed quietly.

"I love her." A smile found it's way to my face as I nodded in agreement.

"Me too, she's such a badass." I turned once Ichigo was done only to find Kisa a step behind me.

"I know you're talking about me." I laughed, earning a smile from her.

"I was just bragging to Ichigo about what a badass sister I have." Her smile widened as she stopped outside of our classroom with Kon. Ichigo and I told her to have a good afternoon and headed into the room, leaving them to say goodbye.

The rest of the day we were able to avoid Yumichika. However, I started noticing him in the halls. Each time I caught his gaze he'd glare me down angrily. Michiru said he did the same to her but she continued to stand up for him, saying that he was greiving. Although that day may have implied that our group had reconnected, it didn't. The next day Renji was sitting with some other people during lunch and Michiru dragged Hisagi back into the library, this time working on scholarships rather than college applications. There was still little contact with Kiba and the next day it was just the four of us.

January continued without much conflict or communication with our friends. By the time February rolled around Ichigo, Kon, and I had recieved a few acceptance letters each. We spent a lot of time talking with both Byuakuya and Isshin about our interests and specific schools with programs for those interests. I think they were worried that we would all just go to the same college simply because of how close we were. Once in a whie I'd catch Byu on the phone discussing college options with Isshin. They were taking this very seriously.

In February the snow had almost completely melted away as spring threatened to show itself early. The temperature rose as the sun came out day after day. Instead of getting snow we got rain and lots of it. The days passed without much conflict, just as January had, that is until February 28th. That day was a day I will never forget.

The 28th was a Friday. Kisa and I had stayed at the Kurosaki's the night before because we didn't have school and Byuakuya was gone on a trip for work. Friday we lazed around, keeping each other occupied as the rain poured down. It had started early that morning and didn't let up until later in the day. We did everything possible to keep ourselves entertained. At first we sat in Kon's room and talked. The topic of college came up and I noticed the shift in Kisa's expression. She hated listening to us talk about college and graduation. Once we left, she'd be on her own and I knew she'd take it hard. Although I knew I had to choose the school right for me, I always considered staying close by so I could live at home, for her sake and mine. I was going to miss her and Byu immensely.

Once we had finished chatting over schools and had gained the motivation to get up, we headed downstairs to grab something to eat. Yuzu offered to fix us something as Karin sat at the table with us, talking to Kon and Ichigo about Isshin's plans for a family vacation. After eating we watched a movie before splitting up. Ichigo and I went to his room, each grabbing a book. We found ourselves reading a lot at his house but that didn't bother me. We kept each other well-informed of each current novel we read, making suggestions for the next book the other picked up. As nerdy as it sounded, we really bonded over books. They were always a source of conversation when life didn't offer anything good enough to talk about. We stretched out on his bed and started reading. Ichigo had a tendency to read himself to sleep. I noted how often he did this and was not surprised to find him with his face literally in his book as he airsnored only forty minutes after picking up our novels. A soft waterspot formed where he had drooled on the page. I smiled, shifting carefully as I got off the bed. I dog-eared the page I was on and sat it on his desk. Knowing that he would get pissed if I let him nap, I made a mental note to wake him in about twenty minutes. With that I slid out of the room quietly and made my way to Kon's room, pushing his door open carefully. Kon was laying on his back on top of his bed. Kisa rested most of her weight against him, her head resting on his chest and using him as a pillow as she also airsnored, the sound filling the otherwise silent room. Kon had a book in his free hand, the other arm wrapped carefully around Kisa. I didn't want to wake her so I spoke quietly, getting Kon's attention as I whispered.

"What are you reading, Kon?" I was surprised to find him with a book. He hated reading claiming that it took him too long to get through a book and that for him it was a waste of time. He smiled up at me as I entered the room.

"I dunno, Kisa fell asleep reading it." I laughed quietly.

"Yeah, Ichigo did the same." Kon sat the reading material aside and gestured for me to come closer.

"Come keep me company, I can't get up." My smile widened as I carefully shut the door. I stepped closer, sitting on the floor next to his bed. I glanced at Kisa, noticing her small hands clenching onto Kon's tshirt.

"Have you noticed her lack of enthusiasm when we talk about college?" My voice was no longer a whisper but I was still quiet, trying not to wake Kisa. Kon nodded, absently playing with her hair.

"Yeah, I have."

"Has she said anything to you about it?" He shook his head, stopping when Kisa shifted. Once he realized she wasn't going to wake, he continued.

"I've asked her how she felt about me moving away but she'd only ever shrug, telling me to do what I wanted." I frowned.

"She's going to be miserable if you leave."

"So will I." A small smile formed on his mouth.

"That doesn't mean you shouldn't go to a school that's far from here. As much as you're going to miss each other, you have to go where you _want_ to go."

"I know." He sighed. "Besides, it's not like we'll never see each other. If I do move I think the thing that'll bother me the most is worrying if I've been replaced." He smiled again, giving away the fact that he was joking.

"Yeah right. I don't think you have to worry about that." He laughed, leaning his head against Kisa's.

"I hope not." I patted his arm lightly.

"You're perfect for Kisa so you better not replace her either." Kon let out another laugh.

"Are you kidding? Not only is Kisa the most attractive girl I will ever get, she may be the only one I _could_ get."

"Shut up, Kon. Stop putting yourself down like that. I know the guys like to tease you but it's not funny." He smiled, patting my shoulder.

"Chill, it was a joke. Seriously though, I would never replace Kisa. I love her." My mind went back to my conversation with Kisa about falling in love.

"Have you told her that?" He nodded. "What'd she say?"

" 'Thanks'." I laughed, resting my head on the side of the matress.

"You're kidding."

"Nope, she smiled and said 'thanks, I like you too.'" I shifted, resting my head onto my arms.

"I love her." Again I patted his arm, reassuringly. "Don't worry, she's getting there." After a moment of silence he turned to me.

"What about you?" I cocked an eyebrow.

"...What about me?" Kon laughed, staring at his ceiling.

"How are things going with you and Ichigo? Is everything as good as they appear?" I smiled at his concern. Kon had been rooting for us all along.

"Yeah, everything is good. Actually, probably better than they appear." Kon's eyebrows rose slightly.

"What do you mean?" I thought about an appropriate response before opening my mouth.

"I just...never expected so much...happiness from this relationship. Especially since we started dating only a few months after Hisana's death."

"I told you he'd make you happy. I've never met someone more perfect for Ichigo and I don't think I'll ever find someone to replace you in case of an emergency so you should just get engaged now." I laughed, surprised by his enthusiasm.

"Geez, Kon. Why are you trying to marry me off?"

"Because I think you and Ichigo should get married." I shook my head.

"You're more concerned for our relationship than for your own." He smiled slightly, a distant look now on his face.

"That's different." My eyebrows furrowed.

"How so?"

"You two _obviously_ love each other." He paused, as if he had to think about how he worded his next statement. "Kisa's still figuring things out and as much a I love her, that doesn't mean she'll love me."

"What are you saying?"

"I dunno, I think that I'm just a first boyfriend to Kisa. I'm not someone she would think about as having a long-term relationship with."

"Kon, why would you think that?" He shrugged.

"I just do. I feel like she's gotten comfortable." I shook my head, sitting up again.

"That's not true at all. I think Kisa loves you, she's just too scared to show it. Her whole life her father's basically told her that her feelings and opinions don't matter. He's also instilled in her that she shouldn't show her emotions. That's why she was so neutral about everything. Believe me Kon, she has real feelings for you." He smiled, still watching the ceiling.

"Thanks, Rukia." I patted his arm one last time before standing.

"Don't thank me, I'm just telling you what I see and think." I stretched my arms above my head before stepping back. "I'm going to go wake up Ichigo."

"Okay, afterwards do you wanna go grab some coffee?" I nodded.

"Sure, that's a good idea, seeing as how these two can't stay awake." His grin widened as he turned towards Kisa. I left and headed back to Ichigo's room. He was still using his book as a pillow but now he was more sprawled out. One leg dangled over the edge of the narrow matress, nearly kicking off the comforter. I approached the bed, sitting on the edge. He stirred but didn't wake. I pushed his hair away from his forehead while gently shaking his shoulder.

"Ichigo, get up." Again he stirred. "Ichigo." This time he opened his eyes, sitting his head up instinctively.

"What?" I laughed, wiping away a small puddle of drool from his chin.

"Wake up, you fell asleep reading again." He sighed, pushing himself into a sitting position.

"How long have I been sleeping?" I glanced at the clock, shrugging.

"About twenty-five, thirty minutes." He nodded. "I know, I'm not supposed to let you nap." A smile spread over his face before he stretched his arms above his head. "Kisa fell asleep too so Kon suggested we go get some coffee." Ichigo nodded before standing.

"Sounds like an awesome idea." I stood also, absently smoothing out some wrinkles in his tshirt. He smiled down at me before hoisting me up. Ichigo pulled me into a hug once I was eye-level with him. I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning my head against his. The tips of my toes brushed his legs, not even reaching his knees as he held me off the ground. "I love you."

"Love you, too." I turned, kissing the side of his head. "Now put me down." He laughed; I felt the rumble in his chest throughout my entire torso. Ichigo sat me down gingerly. I turned and led him out the door. In the hallway we found Kon carrying Kisa, threatening to drop her. She groaned, sounding uninterested. I laughed, giving him a strange look.

"She didn't want to get up so I had to force her." Ichigo reached over, patting her back.

"Come on, Kisa, get up. Kon's going to buy us all coffee." Kon laughed, nearly covering up the quiet laugh that escaped Kisa. She sighed, laying her head on Kon's shoulder defeatedly.

"Fine." Kon sat her down and nudged her towards the stairs. We gathered near the exit, slipping on our shoes. Ichigo dismissed himself to go tell Isshin about our plans. While Ichigo did that I grabbed my keys as Kon led us outside. We waited outside the vehicle because of how nice the slightly chilly air felt. The three of us leaned against Ichigo's truck although we would be taking my car. After a few minutes Kisa leaned her weight against Kon, burrying her face in his chest.

"I take it back, I don't wanna go anymore." Kon and I laughed as he absently grabbed onto her hands.

"You're such a loser Kisa." She glanced at me quickly before hiding her eyes again.

"Shut up Rukia." I could hear the smile in her voice, the rare teasing tone. Kon nudged me with his elbow, making sure he had my attention before looking down at Kisa.

"Hey Kisa." She didn't move, not bothering to look up at him.

"What?" Kon's grin widened and I thought he was about to make a joke of some sort.

"I love you." I smiled also, amused although not surprised that he would make light of our earlier conversation. She didn't respond at first but I did notice her stiffen slightly. After a few more moments she spoke up, although quietly.

"I love you, too." She mumbled her words, as if she were embarrassed. However, I knew Kisa too well. When it came to certain people, she was perfectly comfortable sharing her opinions and feelings. I thought Kon would act surprised or overjoyed but instead he laughed loudly, earning a glare from Kisa. "What the hell, Kon?" He held up his hands, defensively.

"You were supposed to say thank you!" She gave him a scrutinizing look. "I'm sorry; I was trying to make a joke out of something Rukia and I were talking about." Kisa rolled her eyes, though not looking annoyed. She layed her head back on his chest.

"You're an idiot." He was about to respond but was cut off by the sound of a door slamming shut. We looked over towards his parents house only to find his father walking our way. This time Kisa and I both stiffened. Kaede looked relatively calm as he approached, stopping when he stood in front of his son. Kisa glanced up at him nervously, her demeanor changing instantly. I folded my arms, glaring at him while he ignored me all together.

"Hey, Kid." Kon smiled softly, his grip on Kisa tightened.

"Hi, Dad."

"So, are you ever going to go visit your mother?" Kon blinked, glancing at the house.

"I guess I should do that soon, sorry. I've been pretty busy with school-"

"Too busy to go next door and see your mom? I noticed that you're barely here as it is. I can only assume you're with your little girlfriend." Kon held up a hand, trying to calm his father.

"Look, I'm sorry. I'll go see her as soon as we get back." Kaede shook his head.

"No, you should go now."

"Dad, I've already made plans. I'll be back within an hour or two-" Kaede clenched his fists.

"Your mother is in there crying her eyes out because she never gets to see you. You are literally within a hundred feet from her. You can't just go say 'hi'?" Kon sighed and I thought he'd give in.

"I promise, I'll go right over but I've already made plans. I'm not just going to bail on my friends." Kaede was now glaring down at his son.

"You're a piece of work. You can't take five minutes out of your day to go see your mom? After all the shit we've dealt with raising your sorry ass, that's the least you could do. You know, it's your fault she's relasped into her goddamned depression."

"And who's fault is it that Kon's not around? Why would he want to go home, especially now that you're back?" I spoke up, getting Kaede's attention.

"Rukia, it's okay-"

"Excuse me, you little bitch, why don't you mind your own business."

"Dad!" Kaede looked back to Kon, his glare deepening. He shoved him back against the truck as his temper rose.

"Shut the fuck up. Do you think because you live here now that I can't put you in your place?" Kon sighed, keeping his cool.

"Please, Dad, just stop. I'll be back soon; when we get back I'll go visit Mom-" Kaede grabbed the front of Kon's shirt, pulling him closer until there were just a few inches of distance between them. Fear finally found it's way onto Kon's face.

"Listen to me, you don't make the rules. You listen to me, you little shit. Get your ass in that house _now_-"

"Let him go before we go find Isshin." Kisa pushed herself off the truck as she started to get angry. When Kaede's grip remained she spoke up again, this time her voice was bolder. "Get your hands off of him." Kaede angrily slammed Kon back against the truck before stepping closer to Kisa. Kon quickly pushed his way between them.

"Leave her alone, Dad." A defensively look found it's way to Kon's face as he planted his hands on his father's chest, trying his best to keep a large distance between Kisa and Kaede. Almost in a rage, Kaede shoved Kon back, nearly causing him to fall to the ground.

"Keep your fucking hands off of me." At that moment I realized the familiar look in his eyes. Red streaks of blood covered the whites of his eyes and I knew he was under the influence of some type of drug. In anger, he raised his fist to Kon but I spoke up, nearly yelling.

"If you touch him one more time I'll call the fucking police. If you have any precious brain cells left you'll go back into your house and leave Kon alone." Kaede froze, turning his raging expression onto me. There was a brief moment when I thought he'd come after me instead but I pushed the thought away. He dropped his fist, stepping back.

"You're going to regret threatening me, you fucking bitch." With that he retreated towards his house. I rolled my eyes blowing off his words. I turned to Kon who had regained his balance.

"Are you okay, Kon?" He ran a very shaky hand through his hair.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Kisa noticed how nervous he was, frowning up at him. She stood on her tiptoes, wrapping her arms around his neck. At first he continued staring off, looking like a nervous wreck. After a few moments he wrapped his arms around her waist, burrying his face in her shoulder. I glanced towards the house, watching the front door that Kaede had just slammed shut for the second time. His voice could be heard as he yelled at Naomi, telling her that her son didn't "give two shits" about her. Then he screamed, telling her to stop crying. I turned back to Kon as his shoulders started shaking, indicating that he had started crying. Instead of approaching them, I stepped back, giving them some privacy as Kisa talked to Kon.

"Kon, stop." She grabbed the sides of his face and pulled his head off her shoulder. "Listen to me, don't let him bother you. That's exactly what he wants. He knows he can't physically hurt you anymore so he said anything he could to hurt you emotionally." A frown was placed on his face as a few stray tears ran down his face.

"But, my mom is depressed again and it's because of m-"

"No it's not, it's your father's fault. Don't listen to him, for all we know your mother could be happy that you're gone." He tried to protest but she cut him off again. "Kon, they've done nothing but hurt you your entire life. As hard as it may be you have to disconnect yourself from them." She wiped away a tear from his cheek as he nodded.

"I know..." Kisa knew exactly what she was talking about. As sad as it was, she was the master of emotionally cutting herself off from others. Kon on the other hand found it harder to blame his parents. He was the type of person to take the blame for something he wasn't responsible for. However, I could tell he realized Kisa was right. She quickly kissed his lips before hugging him tightly around the neck. He squeezed her back, letting her go quickly. I smiled, turning away from them and glancing towards the house. I wanted to get off the subject of Kaede so I glanced to Kon before turning back to the house.

"I wonder what's taking Ichigo so long..." Kon wiped at his eyes, his expression calming.

"He probably got caught talking to Isshin." I nodded as we leaned against the side of Ichigo's truck, facing away from Kon's old home. _Out of sight, out of mind_, I thought absently.

"He needs to hurry." Kon smiled down at me, nudging me lightly.

"Don't be so impatient." I returned the gesture, tempted to go after Ichigo regardless. I pushed myself off the car and took a few steps away.

"I'm just going to go get him." Kon laughed quietly, rolling his eyes. I took a few more steps towards the house when it happened. There was the sound of a gun shot that came from Kaede's general direction, causing me to freeze. In that instant I could hear the rate of my heart beat speed up quickly, the sound pounding in my ears. Kisa screamed, the sound making me turn around.

Kon was laying face first on the pavement in a puddle of blood that was coming from his head. The red spot continued to grow at a rapid rate. I noticed the large hole in the back of his head, exposing flesh and although I didn't get good look, I could've sworn I had seen a chunk of his brain laying on the cement next to him. Kisa stood frozen, staring at Kon. She looked so tense but it wasn't because she was scared that Kaede had a gun, she was panicking at the sight of Kon. After a brief moment of silence she fell to her knees, clutching onto Kon's pant leg and shaking him.

"Kon!" She yelled as tears spilled out of her eyes. I stood, frozen, while I observed them. When I finally did turn to look at Kaede I was shocked to find his gun pointed at my forehead, only a few inches away. I gasped in surprise as I turned my eyes upward, trying to get a good look at him. He was _grinning_. A look of disgust took over my face as tears started to build up in my own eyes.

"You sick fuck." Kaede laughed at my words, pushing the gun until it touched my forehead. It was nearly impossible to believe how quickly this situation had escalated and I was having a hard time believing the images in front of me.

"I told you you would regret your threat, didn't I?" As he spoke I heard rushing footsteps coming from the Kurosaki clinic. Ichigo's feet skidded across the cement in an abrupt stop.

"What's going on?" Isshin's voice sounded but I knew Ichigo was there too, despite the fact that my back was turned to them. "Kaede why are you doing this-"

"Dad, look!" Ichigo yelled. I imagine he was gesturing towards Kon and Kisa. I moved my eyes in that direction. Kisa was sobbing loudly but continued shake Kon, as if she were in denial. I turned my eyes back to the gun as a few sobs escaped me. I noticed some movement in my peripheral vision as Kisa stood, turning towards Kaede.

"What did you do!" Again I chanced a look to my left to see Kisa's expression shift into one of pure rage. "You sick bastard; what did you do!" She shouted, stepping closer to him with clenched fists.

"Kisa, stay away from him!" Isshin yelled, trying to get her attention. "Kaede, put the gun down. There's no reason to bring Rukia into this." Kaede laughed again, his eyes meeting mine.

"Of course there is, she's the reason I shot Kon. And now, I'm going to shoot her." His thumb pulled back a tiny metal piece, cocking the small hand gun. I held my breath and clenched my eyes shut, my mind going to Byuakuya.

_"Rukia, don't say that!" He scolded little six year old Rukia gently, a smile still on his face. I had just admitted to him that I hated my father and preferred having Byuakuya around._

_"It's true, I wish _you_ were my dad. Don't you love me Byu?" His expression softened as he pulled me into a hug. _

_"Of course I love you." His smile widened before he kissed the top of my head. "You're the first woman to win my heart." A confused expression came over my face._

_"I have your heart?"_

_"Yup, in the palm of your hand." He lightly grabbed my hand, jokingly gesturing towards my palm. "Rukia, can you promise me something?" I blinked, unsure of what to expect._

_"I guess." _

_"No matter what your parents do to you, promise me you'll always be my little Rukia." A smile formed on my face as I eagerly nodded, wrapping my arms around him. I glanced up from the couch we were occupying to see Hisana approach us, tears running down her face. Byuakuya looked up at her with a concerned expression. "Hisana?" She wrapped her arms around his neck._

_"I love you, Byuakuya." He pulled both of us closer, holding us tightly._

The memory came back to me in the blink of an eye as I was still staring at the gun that was pressed against my forehead. Feet shuffled behind me as one of the two stepped closer.

"Kaede, please don't do this, just put the gun down." Ichigo pleaded with the man and continued to say something but I was too distracted by the view of Naomi stepping out of their house. A furious expression was plastered to her face. She stepped onto the grass, only about ten feet from her husband. It wasn't until she raised her arm did I notice the gun in her own hand. My eyes widened.

"Kaede look out-" I was cut off by the sound of another gun shot as a bullet hit Kaede in the back. He stumbled forward, the gun falling from his hand. I stepped back, knocking into Ichigo. My eyes stayed on Naomi as she started to shout.

"You son of a bitch! Why would you do this to me?" Kaede was now on his hands and knees, blood dripping from a hole in his back. He coughed as he struggled to breathe in oxygen.

"Naomi-" Instead of listening to him she shot him again, this time hitting his shoulder. I jumped at the sound, causing Ichigo to wrap his arms around me protectively. Again she pulled the trigger, hitting her husband in the back of the head with the last bullet.

"Fuck you!" Tears were running down her face uncontrollably. She turned towards Kon, stepping closer to his body. Kisa backed away from her, looking terrified. Naomi fell to her knees, laying her head on her son's back as she continued to sob. Kisa grabbed two handfuls of her hair, turning completely away from Kon. Isshin quicky approached Kon, kneeling down next to his head. He checked his pulse but soon pulled his hands away and covered his face. I stared down at Kaede's still body as sirens rang throug the street. A police car, followed by an ambulance, sped down the road, parking in the grass. A police officer quickly stepped out of his car as two EMTs rushed towards Kaede. The officer turned to Isshin.

"Dr. Kurosaki, what's going on?" Isshin didn't turn to the man until he reached out and layed a hand on Isshin's shoulder. Isshin explained the situation quickly, wiping tears off his face before standing. I started crying again, my shoulders shaking as I turned my eyes to Kon. Kisa started making her way towards Kon again but Isshin stood, lightly pushing her back.

"Kisa, don't." She tried to push past him but Isshin persisted. Eventually she broke into tears again, hugging onto Isshin's waist. The police officer was talking to Naomi, carefully pulling the gun out of her hand. Ichigo's head rested on my shoulder as he finally chocked out a few sobs. I turned in his grip, facing him, and wrapped my arms around him. I felt a hand on my shoulder and turned again, facing Isshin. He still had an arm around Kisa. "Kids, go inside. Make sure Yuzu and Karin don't see anything." He nudged Kisa towards us but she pulled away from him.

"No." Isshin blinked, glancing at her, looking exhausted. I saw in movement in my peripheral vision as the EMTs started picking up Kon's lifeless body. My stomach turned over as I turned away.

"God, I can't stay out here." I pulled away from Ichigo and quickly headed for the house. Ichigo followed, a step behind me. I opened the front door and stepped into the house, the air-conditioned air feeling fresher than outside. I inhaled deeply, the breath coming in shakily. My whole body was shaking as my mind caught up with my eyes. I doubled over, resting my hands on my knees and staring at the floor.

"Rukia?" I glanced up at Yuzu who looked terrified. She was crying. She didn't know the half of it.

"I'm fine." I said, my voice sounding airy. Still my heart pounded away in my ears.

"W-what happened? Why did he...why?" Ichigo was staring ahead of himself, focusing on nothing.

"He was yelling at Kon about visiting his mom and then he acted like he was going to punch Kon..." My mind scattered to think of the words I had said to Kaede to make him do such a thing. "I threatened to call the police if he touched Kon. He went back in the house and then he..."

"This can't be real." I stood up straight again, meeting Ichigo's eyes. He shook his head. "Kon can't be dead..." I glanced out the window, feeling light headed, seeing Kisa struggling with Isshin. She had started yelling at the EMTs as they started to take Kon away on a stretcher. Isshin had stepped in, pulling her back and trying to calm her down. I heard Yuzu ask Ichigo what was going on but her voice was distant. Black spots started taking over my vision. I took a step forward, trying to balance myself. It started to feel hot and crowded in the living room. Despite my efforts, I fell back. I was practically unconcious when I hit the floor, not feeling anything but hearing the thud of my head against the wooden floor. My eyes slid shut as I passed out.

-:-

Kon's funeral was only five days later. Isshin had kept in touch with Naomi who was taken into custody after the EMTs had taken both Kaede and Kon's bodies. Isshin informed her that he would gladly pay for Kon's funeral, making the arrangements, because Kon's parents had no form of life insurance taken out for any of the three. Naomi was thankful, at least that's what Isshin said. He claimed that she acted nonchalant when Isshin told her that Kaede was being taken care of by the government. That meant he would be cremated without a service.

Kon, on the other hand, had a very nice wake and funeral. The wake was the night before the funeral and it was fairly crowded. It took place in a small room in the funeral home. People filtered in and out, most people not staying very long. I saw a lot of staff members from our school consoling Isshin, who took the role of Kon's father, standing by the coffin the entire time. Our closests friends stayed the entire time, grouping together with their parents. Ichigo and I spent most of the time with Isshin but did manage ten minutes or so with them every hour. Kisa sat in the back of the room, refusing to talk to anyone. She didn't cry until Byuakuya showed up. She had called him the day Kon was killed and begged him to come home from his work trip, sobbing into the phone. He showed up the next day. When Byuakuya arrived at the wake, he could only be there for the last hour or so because of work, he approached Kisa first. I was too far to hear what he said to her but whatever it was it caused her to burst into tears. After a few moments he realized he had everyones attention and escorted her into the hallway. I went to check on them, finding them a few feet outside of the door. Byuakuya was holding her like a child while she cried into his shoulder. He gave me a sympathetic look, asking me how I was. He looked like he would start crying himself so I left them alone after a minute of small talk, returning to Ichigo.

Isshin decided to have the casket open for the wake. The damage was mostly done to the back of Kon's head and after the mortician had finished his work, Kon looked fine. As I stood between Ichigo and Isshin, both of them grabbing the hand closest to them, I glanced at Kon's serene face. My mind went back to the four short days before when I found him reading in his room. My chest tightened, as did my grip on their hands. Isshin looked down at me before addressing Ichigo and I.

"Why don't you two go see how your friends are doing?" Ichigo nodded absently, glancing towards the large group in the corner. Isshin let go of my hand as Ichigo led me towards them. When we were close enough to them I heard Michiru's cries.

"Why did this have to happen?" I stopped, fighting tears as I turned and burried my face in Ichigo's arm. We were still far enough away from the group that couldn't hear us talking.

"Rukia, what's wrong?" I inhaled deeply before answering.

"I can't handle this." He restd a hand on my back.

"Come on, Rukia." I nodded, pulling away from him. I allowed him to pull me towards the group as Hisagi hugged Michiru, staring off blankly. Renji looked up at us.

"Hey you two." Ichigo nodded.

"Hey." Renji's eyes met mine.

"How's Kisa?" I sighed tiredly; I hadn't gotten much sleep in the last few days.

"Miserable, but she has Byuakuya now so probably a little better." Renji let out a dry laugh.

"Life can be so fucked up." I laughed at his words, the sound just as dry and lifeless as Renji's. Tears formed in my eyes and a few escaped before I could blink them away.

"Don't say that." He wrapped an arm around me, kissing the top of my head.

"I'm sorry, I wish there was something I could do. I can't imagine how it feels to lose a sibling-" He blinked, looking aware of what he had said. I knew he meant Kon. He was saying that to Ichigo because Kon was Ichigo's brother but his eyes stared intently into mine once he cut himself off. He thought he had offended me. I held my hand up as tears continued to spill from my eyes. Renji nodded slightly, returning his gaze to Ichigo and placing a hand on his shoulder. I glanced around Renji.

"Is Michiru alright?" She was crying loudly, just as she had when she first heard the news about Kon's death. Renji glanced back at her, nodding slightly.

"She just had another black out." My eyebrows turned down, concerned.

"How long of a time span did she lose?"

"She said the last thing she remembered was yesterday afternoon, picking out a dress for the wake with Mei Mei." My eyes widened slighlty.

"That's a whole day, they're getting worse." He nodded, running a hand through his hair.

"I know." I glanced over at her again as Hisagi pulled away, offering to get her some water. She tightened her grip on his arm and shook her head. Renji offered to grab her a glass of water, walking away promptly.

Ichigo glanced back at his dad and asked if we could head back. I agreed and followed him back to Isshin's side. Isshin looked down at us, furrowing his brow as he patted his son on the shoulder.

"That wasn't very long." Ichigo shrugged, his face neutral although I could see the tears that threatened to run down his face. Isshin watched his son with a very concerned gaze before wrapping his arms around Ichigo. I had never seen them hug before, at least not a mutual hug and the sight brought a warm smile to my face. Usually Ichigo pulled away from his dad, acting annoyed. However, this time Ichigo hugged him back tightly, hiding his face in Isshin's shoulder.

People started leaving, consoling Isshin again before taking their exit. Soon the only ones left were our close friends and their parents. They all stayed, offering to help clean up. Kensei went into the hall and retreived Byuakuya before they started cleaning off the tables. Byu helped fold up the tables, handing them to Shenji who stacked them up. Kisa stood by the door. I kept my eye on her while Mina and I gathered all the trash. At first Kisa watched as we cleared out the room. The funeral director would be back with a few men to move Kon's casket soon. After a few moments and a few glances towards Kon, she quietly made her way to his casket, gripping onto the side of it. She was standing pretty close, making me nervous. Everyone noticed her but ignored her even when she started crying. They all knew as well as I had that she didn't want any attention; she simply wanted to see him one last time. The thought made me shudder. I couldn't believe that was the last time I'd see Kon's face in person. Hisagi noticed me staring at her and grabbed my arm.

"You okay?" Despite the frown on my face and the tears building up in my eyes I nodded.

Once the room was clean, looking exactly the way the funeral director left it to us, everyone started saying goodbye to one another. Even though everyone acted like they were leaving, they started lining up at his casket again. No one said anything, they simply offered Kisa their sincere apologies and some offering hugs. Once they were gone, Isshin struggled to get Kisa to leave the room. Byuakuya offered to step in, simply offering to hold her again. She let him pick her up before he carried her out of the room. Isshin smiled at them before glancing around the room for his own daughters. He rounded them up and led Ichigo and I out of the room. Ichigo glanced back into the room once the lights were off and so did I, staring towards the emptly looking spot where Kon rested, his casket now shut. As cliche as it sounded I felt like I was leaving apart of myself behind when I left that room. Ichigo tugged on my hand, following his father out of the building.

That night Byuakuya drove Kisa and I to the Kurosaki's house, even though it was already late. Byuakuya hadn't had the oppurtunity to talk with Isshin since getting home because Isshin was busy making all the arrangements. Ichigo let us in, leading his sisters and father into the house. The first thing he did was flop down on the couch, staring off in a tired daze as the rest of us filed in. Isshin glanced at Kisa before looking to his girls.

"Kids, why don't you go to bed, try to get some rest." Yuzu nodded, her face neutral as she hugged her father goodnight. Karin did the same then led Yuzu down the hall towards their room. Isshin nudged Ichigo's arm, gesturing for him to get up. "Come on, go to bed." After sighing, Ichigo pushed himself off the couch. I looked up at Byuakuya expectantly, earning a nod.

"Go ahead, you two can stay here again." I had slept here since the Thursday because Ichigo begged me to stay. The night was really hard for Ichigo; all day long he held in his tears, not allowing most people to see him grieve. However, as soon as he was alone or slightly isolated he'd lose control of himself and start sobbing. The last three nights I had layed in his bed, listening to him cry for at least two hours before he would fall asleep, clutching onto me for dear life. It was hard, _really_ hard but Ichigo had been so supportive when I was mourning over Hisana. I owed him the same support and had to do my best to ignore my feelings so I could be there for him.

Ichigo and I headed towards the stairs but I stopped once I realized that Kisa hadn't budged. Her actions again made me nervous. I couldn't stop worrying about her and her strange, although expected, behavior. My chest tightened simply out of nervousness. Byuakuya lightly nudged her towards the staircase.

"Go Kisa, you need to sleep." She shook her head; she had all our attention.

"I don't want to."

"You're obviously exhausted, go." She stayed in place.

"I don't want you to leave." A pained expression fell over Byuakuya's face.

"Kisa, I can't stay here-"

"I'm not going to bed; I don't want you to leave me." The knot in my chest twisted tighter; I couldn't imagine how much her words stung Byuakuya. Those were the same words to come out of Hisana's mouth her first few weeks staying in the hospital.

"Look, go sleep and I'll get you when I'm ready to go, okay?" She shook her head.

"You're not going to wake me up just to take me home." Byu was about to say something but Isshin stepped in.

"Byuakuya can stay here tonight, alright? He can stay with you." Kisa looked up at Isshin before turning her gaze back to Byu. He sighed tiredly, pushing his hair out of his face.

"I'll stay. I'll be upstairs soon, okay? Just go get some rest." She hesitated, unsure, but soon nodded. She followed Ichigo and I up the stairs. I hugged her, telling her goodnight and that I loved her. Then I headed to Ichigo's room, grabbing the sweats I had borrowed from Karin before stepping into the hall bathroom. Once I was dressed I brushed my teeth and stepped back into the hall. Kisa stood on the opposite side of the hallway, staring at the door to Kon's bedroom. It was the first time since Kon's death that anyone had gone into his room. She grabbed the doorknob, slowly twisting it and pushed the door open. After flipping on the lights she stepped inside. I made my way closer to the door, my feet shuffling quietly. I didn't want her to get mad if she caught me watching her. Kisa walked over to his desk, picking something up. Once I got a better look I realized she had picked up her phone. I had noticed earlier that day that she hadn't checked it once in the last few days. She gazed at it, looking frozen. Then suddenly she angrily threw it on the ground, the sound of it crashing against the hardwood floor making me jump. A deep, frustrated glare resided on her brow as she stared down at it.

I took another hesitant step closer to the door. "K-kisa?" She turned, still fuming.

"What?" I did my best to keep a frown off my face and hoped she didn't realize how anxious she was making me.

"What's wrong?" After a moment of silence she looked away, glaring at the floor.

"Nothing." I reached out, laying a hand on her arm. She jerked her arm away. "Please stop, Rukia."

"...Stop what?"

"Stop feeling sorry for me." I blinked, surprised with her answer.

"How am I supposed to feel?"

"I don't know..." I swallowed the lump in my throat before she continued. "Just leave me alone, please." I nodded, understanding completely. Taking a step back, I told her goodnight again, not leaving out the 'I love you' part. Without another word between us I turned and headed back to Ichigo's room. He asked me what took so long but instead of going over the conversation with Kisa I just waved it off. Ichigo got into bed, laying against the wall. He could barely keep his eyes open so I quickly turned off the light and joined him. My eyelids grew heavy in an instant as they sank shut. Although I was already half asleep I listened for any sound coming from Ichigo. After only a couple of minutes he began airsnoring. I forced my eyes open and was shocked to see him asleep. Usually when he slept his face held a relaxed and peaceful expression but watching him as he finally conquered sleep these last few days I've noticed the scowl that appeared on his brow even while at rest. I pushed the thoughts away and closed my eyes again, leaning my head against Ichigo's arm before falling asleep.

"The next day Isshin woke us and the first thing I noticed were the somber, dark rings under his eyes. He looked ten times worse than he had last night and I wondered how much sleep he had gotten the night before. Once we were up, he asked me to wake Kisa and Byu, probably because of a comfort issue. I slowly pushed open Kon's door and took a few steps in. Byuakuya was laying against the wall, resting on his side as he faced Kisa. His hair was pulled into a sloppy bun, loosely pulled away from his face. Kisa was wedged against him, laying her head on his arm. She had braided her hair, the tip of it reaching more than half way down her back. Her had had grown at an amazing rate. Kisa was wide awake, staring at the ceiling.

"Hey Kisa, it's time to get up." She turned her head towards me, not saying anything. "Wake up Byuakuya okay?"

"Okay." I nodded, retreating quickly into the hallway.

That morning was extremely quiet. The only ones to talk were Byuakuya and Isshin attempting to start up a conversation. Most of those were failed attempts but that didn't stop them from trying. After breakfast Byuakuya took Kisa and I home so we could change. Isshin had allowed us to sleep in a little late which meant breakfast was also late. It was going on eleven-thirty when we headed out the door. Once home I headed upstairs and quickly changed into the nicest black dress I could find in my closet. My mind flashed back to Hisana as I slipped it on. It was the dress I had worn to her funeral twelve short months ago.

A conversation I had had with Kon months ago popped into my head. _"Poor Sana. I wish I could've met her." _I was driving Kon home after Kisa's welcome home dinner. That was the night Ichigo found out about Tatsuki's pregnancy, attacking Kiba in anger.

_"Believe me, she would've loved you."_

I pushed the thought away, doing my best to push away the urge to cry. Once I slipped my shoes on I grabbed my phone off my dresser and headed down the stairs. When I reached the living room I found Kisa sitting on the couch in her own black dress. Her hair had regained it's curls, apparently it came with the length, and she had it laying over her shoulders and back. Although her face held a neutral expression her eyes were glazed over as if she were fighting tears. Before I had the oppurtunity to sit Byuakuya came down the hall, donning a dark suit. He tightened his black tie as he approached us.

"Come on, girls. If we don't go now we'll be late." I nodded absently, not even meeting his gaze. Kisa pushed herself off the couch and headed out the door, getting into Byu's car without a word. As I made my way to the car, while Byu locked the door, I noted the dark clouds in the sky. Of course it would probably be raining by the time the funeral was over. I got in the back seat, buckling as Byuakuya got in and started the vehicle. We rode in silence, the drive seeming endless. When we finally parked in the grass outside of the gates I was surprised to see Mai and Yoshiki standing around as if they were waiting on us. Kisa watched them intently as if she weren't sure she was really seeing them. We got out of the car and the first thing Yoshiki did was to pull Kisa into a tight hug. She didn't return the gesture, looking as neutral as she had the first day I met her. Byuakuya greeted them, hugging both Shiki and Mai before leading us towards the small group of people who had beat us there. Most of those people included our immediate friends, each of them standing with their parents. My chest tightened as we approached them. The casket was being suspended by the machine that would inevitably lower Kon into his grave. We had stopped, occupying the spot next to the Abarai's.

I glanced over at Ichigo who gave me a strange look; his expression said _What are you doing? Get over here._ I nodded, slightly before turning to Byuakuya and quietly dismissing myself. Once I reached his side, I grabbed Ichigo's hand without a word. His grip tightened around mine as Isshin informed the pastor that everyone he expected to attend was present. I looked around, taking in the surroundings so I would never forget them. The pastor started talking, beginning his speech by informing us that he had known Kon as a young child and that he had been the one to baptize Kon as an infant. I continued to listen to his memories of the sweet little child Kon had been as I stared at the casket.

The pastor continued to describe his last encounter with Kon as a four year old toddler who had been dragged to church by his grandmother. According to the man he was enthusiastic to learn, kind to others, and a joy to have in service. All these things I had already known. We all knew how Kon's presence could bring smiles to each of our faces, regardless of the situation. We knew that he was kind; he had the biggest heart. The clergyman continued praising Kon's live, basically informing us of what a great person he had been and how different the world will be without him. Once he mentioned life without Kon I noticed quite a few people lose it. Kana let out a few sobs, covering her face as her husband wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Michiru allowed tears to slide down her face but managed to cry silently, clutching onto Hisagi's hand. As I looked around I noticed Mei Mei and Katsurou for the first time, my uncle holding baby Shiomi in his arms. He caught my gaze and offered me a sympathtic look. I smiled slightly in return.

Before I knew it the ceremony was ending as the machine started lowering the casket into the ground. The pastor said a final prayer, ending the funeral. At first no one moved, as if they all feared moving would make Kon's death final. After a lag people started stepping back, a few quiet conversations started. A man with a shovel started filling the grave with the loose dirt resting in a large pile beside the hole. His uniformed indicated that he was staff of the cemetary. Everyone stepped back to give the man some room except Kisa who stepped forward, watching the process with that neutral expression on her face. Byuakuya, Mai, and Yoshiki stood a few steps from her, watching her intently. Although people were talking, no one left until the grave was filled. The pastor dismissed himself after talking with Isshin and the cemetary worker left without notice. Kensei stepped forward, speaking loudly and confidently.

"We love you, Kon. You're irreplacable; we won't be the same without you." A smile found its way to my face as he spoke. Soon Ren spoke up.

"You're the kindest person I've ever met." Tears spilled out of her eyes as her husband, a step behind her, covered his face. Shenji's shoulders began to shake, the sight breaking my heart. Michiru, who could barely take a solid breath for crying, stepped forward.

"We will _never_ forget you." As the last word left her lips Ichigo started sobbing, falling to his knees. I still had a good grip on his hand as his body heaved. He was finally letting it all out and I couldn't blame him. This had been the most touching funeral I had ever been to; Kon had impacted so many lives and he didn't even realize it. He brought all these diverse people together, even after months of a slow seperation. My eyes met Kiba's as tears started escaping the both of us. Tatsuki grabbed his hand, gaining his attention. I kneeled down next to Ichigo, laying my hand on his back. I felt like I was being ripped apart; it was difficult to listen to the pained cries of someone you loved. I wanted to make him feel better; I wanted to make everyone feel better but there was nothing I could do. We all had to grieve for Kon at our own pace; all we could was be there for one another.

The rain finally started coming down. As usual it came down hard, pouring over us. That's when we started dispersing, many of us making plans to meet up at a nearby restaurant. As much as I wanted to get out of the rain I lagged behind, noticing Kisa frozen into place. Byuakuya told Yoshiki to head on out, waiting with Ichigo and I until she was ready to leave. Byu told her that we'd wait in the car although I didn't want to leave her. Ichigo practically had to drag me back. Half way there I glanced up at him, our eyes full of tears.

"I love you." Without hesitation he answered.

"I love you, too." I turned back, my heart breaking at the sight of Kisa. She was sitting on the ground, resting her weight on her knees, with her hand resting flat on top of the layer of dirt covering Kon's grave. Even from a distance I could tell she was crying and although I was too far to hear anything, I knew she was talking to him. That image burned in my memory as Ichigo and I finally made it to Byuakuya's car, escaping the rain.

-:-

**Holy cow; I am DYING! I want you all to know that this was the hardest thing I've ever written. And no, I don't mean it was a difficult chapter to think of, I've had this idea for a long time. Killing off Kon was just...extremely difficult. **

**I hope this has some sort of impact on you as you read it. (According to my sister, those of you who don't cry are heartless ;D) I've only ever lost someone close to me once and I was too young to understand so I hope I portrayed the loss of a loved one accurately. Please review and tell me what you think! Only one more chapter left and I can tell you know it will not be this long.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Okay so I'm finally ready to finish, at least I think so. I've been getting a lot of questions as to why I killed Kon. Well, first of all I honestly felt like it needed to be done. With this story I would get to certain points and it would practically write itself. Once the idea was in my mind, I knew that Kon's death was inevitable and one of those things that were meant to happen. Secondly, I did not want to end this story with a story-book ending where everyone lives happily ever after. That is unrealistic and I like to consider myself a pretty realistic girl. Besides, this story began with death and its main focus was death; coping with the loss of a loved one. The ending seems pretty fitting to me. I hope that answers your questions. As bad as it may sound, I'm glad I made so many people cry. I'm glad I was able to touch so many people with my writing.**

**Thank you to all those reviews from the last chapter; thanks for those who have loyally read this fic. Your words of encouragement and ideas have made it was it is. I also wanna thank my sister, MarieRock who is always there to listen to my ideas and read my material before it gets posted. You should all check out her amazing profile and read "The Tragedy of Uncertainty" if you have not yet done so. **

**Anyway, on with the story! Here's the wrap up to the best story I've ever written and the story that was the most fun to write! Chapter 26!**

-:-

_November_

Ironically, life seemed to really speed up after Kon's death. School was really demanding and all my free time was devoted to hanging out with family and friends. By the time April had rolled around Ichigo and I had already decided on which college we planned to attend. Each of us settled for Karakura's local university, with the thought of transferring after freshman year. In all honesty we didn't want to seperate, especially after the loss of Kon, but we also wanted to stay close to our families. So, in June we went to our orientation together and tried to get everything taken care of early. By mid-July, we were almost completely ready for August so we could start our college experience. KU was about an hour away so we decided to live on campus, taking our cars so we could visit home frequently.

During the first week of August Michiru had a large get together, inviting the parents. That was her last week home before moving halfway across the country to some huge prestigious university. She was going to attend one of the largest medical schools in the country to become a surgeon, focusing on pediatrics. Once the party was coming to a close she burst into tears and clutched onto the nearest person. That was the last time I saw Michiru since school started.

Two weeks later Ichigo and I packed our stuff into the back of his truck, securing everything with bungy cords, and headed into my house. Isshin had driven over with the girls so we could all say goodbye together. Byuakuya was sitting on the couch holding Shiomi while talking with Yuzu and Karin. Katsurou, who was leaning against the stair railing, glanced our way.

"Are you guys ready?" Ichigo nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Yeah, everything's packed." Isshin pushed himself off of the loveseat and approached us, wrapping Ichigo up in a tight hug and earning a sigh from his son. "Get off me." Isshin laughed, tightening the embrace momentarily before letting go and turning to hug me. I wrapped my arms around his neck, squeezing Isshin tightly. I was going to miss him; I was going to miss them all. As we separated Kisa and Mei Mei entered the living room together. The first thing I noticed was Kisa's hair, the ends brushing the back of her legs. She was wearing a medium length skirt and blouse. Her face held a frown as she watched everyone tell us goodbye. When it came to her turn she was blinking away tears. I smiled, hugging her tightly, telling her how much I loved her. My mind went back to the months separating February and August. Kisa had improved, there was no doubt about it. However, she needed help to do so. Byu had taken her to a therapist multiple times, staying with her for every session. At first she wouldn't say a word but eventually she opened up, admitting to Byuakuya how angry she was that he dragged her there. From then on out she started to accept the help and later told Byu not to come with her.

When July came around she had come to accept the cruelty of life and realized being angry wouldn't bring Kon back. She started to speak up again and really began to feel comfortable being herself, even if Kon wasn't there to encourage it.

Kisa hugged Ichigo tightly, mumbling a goodbye. Ichigo smiled as he lifted her off the ground in a hug, squeezing her tightly. "Don't look so sad, Kisa. We'll be back to visit before you know it." Kisa nodded, ending the goodbyes. Byuakuya reminded us to drive safe, kissing my head in the process, and waved us off. Ichigo and I headed outside and walked towards my car. As I pulled open my car door it started to sprinkle, the rain gaining my attention. A smile found its way on my face as I turned to Ichigo.

"Kon's telling us goodbye." A smile spread over Ichigo's face as he glanced at the clouds.

"I think you're right." His eyes returned to mine. "Should we go visit him before we leave?" I glanced at the tarp covering our belongings before nodding.

"Yeah, we'll visit all three of them before we leave, but let's hurry before it gets worse." Ichigo nodded, leaning over to kiss me. I returned the kiss, hugging him quickly before sliding into my car. Once in his truck, Ichigo backed up and led the way to the cemetary.

By November we had gotten into a rhythm; my workload was a lot lighter then Ichigo's. He was studying pre-med, hoping to transfer to a medical school after freshman year. I on the other hand was majoring in education with a focus of math and history. Aside from my Calc II class, the rest of my current courses were fairly easy.

The day before Ichigo and I planned to head home for fall break we had made plans to meet up with a mutual friend. I was running late so I texted Ichigo, telling him I'd meet them at the on-campus coffee shop. With three books and a binder dangling in my arms, my attention was on my materials making sure I didn't drop anything. With my head down and quick pace going, I ran right into someone, nearly falling. The person grabbed my arm, holding me in place. I looked up to find Renji smiling down at me.

"Geez, Rukia, watch where you're going." I sighed, giving him an annoyed look.

"Yeah right, you probably stood there intentionally." I heard footsteps as Hisagi approached us laughing. They had both also made the decision to become KU students. Renji was also working towards a degree in education, his focus elementary, something that surprised us all. Shuuhei's current major was mathematics; he hoped to transfer to a school with an engineering program once he raised his GPA. Because of the similarities I had classes with both of them.

"Why are you in such a rush?" I glanced towards the cafe behind them.

"Ichigo and Osuma are waiting on me. I'm almost twenty minutes late." Renji laughed, taking my stuff from me.

"Come on." He led Hisagi and I towards the building. I rolled my eyes, pulling my light coat tighter around myself. Shuuhei nudged me, asking me when I planned to head home.

"Ichigo and I are leaving tomorrow morning. What about you guys?" He stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"I'm leaving tonight around six. I think Renji's leaving tomorrow." I nodded as we walked through the cafe door. The smell of coffee hit me as soon as I stepped onto the tiled floor. Renji continued to walk until we reached the table where Ichigo and Osuma were sipping on their drinks. I smiled, kissing Ichigo's cheek in greeting and sitting down next to him.

"Hey guys, sorry I'm late, my class ran way late." Osuma smiled across the table at me. His dark hair was getting long, practically covering his blue eyes. Ichigo had met him in an advanced anatomy course and the two hit it off. When Ichigo introduced me to his friend I laughed at the irony of seeing him again. Osuma didn't regocnize me right away so I had to fill him in, claiming to be that "incredibly beautiful" girl's best friend. Ichigo had no idea what I was talking about, giving me a weird look until I informed him that Osuma was the guy who wrote his number on Kisa's coffee cup almost a year ago.

"No problem." Shuuhei sat down in the last available chair before looking up at Renji.

"You should go get us coffee." Renji sighed, turning to me.

"What do you want?" My smile widened as I thought about it.

"Peppermint mocha please." After he had the order Renji approached the counter. I turned to Osuma. "So, when are you going home?" His eyebrows rose slightly.

"Hm? Oh, no I'm staying here. I'm going to work during fall break." Ichigo's eyebrows turned down.

"Why, don't you want to see your family?" He shrugged.

"I didn't leave home on such great terms with my dad." Ichigo nodded.

"Oh."

"How long has it been since you've been home?" Osuma smiled down at me as if I already knew the answer.

"I haven't been home since I left the first time." Osuma was a sophomore and had his own apartment off campus. I blinked surprised but I didn't want to pry into his personal business so I left it at that.

"Why don't you come with us? There's plenty of guests room at my brother's place. Besides, you'd get to see Kisa again." His eyebrows rose slightly.

"Tempting." I laughed glancing towards Renji as he approached the table with three cups in hand. I thanked him and took my drink.

"Uh, excuse me Rukia, are you trying to bribe this guy with Kisa?" I turned back to him.

"Maybe." Renji shook his head.

"Don't think so, sorry Osuma, she's mine." Ichigo laughed as Renji pulled up a chair from a nearby empty table.

"Renji, you're Kisa's least favorite person. She wouldn't date you if-"

"That's not true at all; she likes me better than she likes you." I held up my hands.

"Chill, Renji." Ichigo laughed under his breath before taking another sip of his coffee. I turned back to Osuma. "Seriously though, if you want to come back with us you can." He nodded.

"I'll think about it."

The next day Ichigo and I had packed up my car and were getting ready to head home at about eleven thirty. Osuma had his own car packed with enough clothes to last him the week long vacation. I gave Ichigo my keys and let him drive, leading Osuma to my house. I had already called Byuakuya and asked about one more person staying at our house. He said it was fine and agreed to keep it a secret from Kisa although I don't think he understood why. By twelve forty we were pulling into the drive, parking behind Byu's black car. I was happy to be home and even happier when I noted my uncle's car parked in the driveway also. I slid out of the car as Osuma parked next to us. He rolled down his passenger window and shouted out to Ichigo.

"I'm not in anyone's way am I?" Ichigo shook his head.

"You're fine." Osuma nodded and killed the engine to his car. After grabbing our bags I led them to the front door, pushing it open. Katsurou turned on the couch, smiling as soon as he saw me.

"Rukia!" I dropped my bag and hugged him before he could get up.

"Hey Katsurou." He returned the gesture, kissing the side of my head. I stepped back as he glanced up at Ichigo and Osuma.

"Hello, Ichigo. Who's your friend?" I held my hand up.

"Hold on, I'll introduce him once everyone's in here." I headed towards the kitchen and gestured for Mei Mei and Byu to come into the living room. Once they had all seen Osuma, I introduced him, telling him each of their names. Byu, who was holding Shiomi, smiled and greeted him politely. I turned back to my brother. "Is Kisa home?"

"Yes, she's upstairs." A smile spread over my face as I gestured for Osuma to follow me up the stairs. "Michiru called and said she'd be here around one."

"Okay." I grabbed my bag and led Ichigo and Osuma up the stairs. I heard a piano playing as I got closer to Kisa's room. I glanced in her bedroom and found it empty, my eyebrows turning down. We followed the sound until we reached one of the guest rooms. The bed that used to reside in the room had been removed and replaced with a small piano. There was a small couch sitting against the opposite side of the room as the large instrument. I sat my bag on the couch quietly and approached Kisa who was sitting at the piano, playing a slow and solemn piece.

"Kisa?" She froze momentarily before turning around, her face brightening.

"Hey, Rukia." I grinned, hugging her tightly.

"Since when do you play the piano?" She pulled away and blinked, looking at me like I was an idiot.

"Since I was four."

"What?" She laughed quietly, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Don't you remember me telling you that I played for the high school's orchestra when they needed an accompanist?" I vaguely recalled what she was talking about.

"Anyway, that's cool. You sound great." She brushed me off, glancing towards Ichigo. He approached her quickly, wrapping her up in a tight hug.

"Hey Kisa." She returned the gesture, resting her head on his shoulder. I noticed her hair as it brushed against the piano bench. She had it in a curly ponytail, her bangs escaping.

"Damn, Kisa, your hair is so long." Ichigo let her go, taking a step back. She smiled over at me and rolled her eyes. "Do you have any idea how jealous I am?" Kisa laughed quietly.

"Yes, I catch you staring at it all the time." I laughed also, patting her shoulder.

"So, we brought someone to see you Kisa." Ichigo held his hands up.

"_She_ brought him, not me." Kisa's eyebrows turned down slightly.

"If it's Renji, I'll hurt you." Another laugh escaped me as I stepped aside.

"Nope, not Renji." I glanced over at Osuma who smiled down at Kisa, offering her a wave. Kisa blinked, looking shocked. She probably thought she'd never see him again. Ichigo chuckled at her expression, nudging her.

"I think she remembers him." Kisa shot Ichigo a glare before looking back at Osuma.

"What's he doing here?"

"Kisa, that's not very nice." She offered me a small smile.

"What'd you do, run down to the coffee shop looking for him?" I laughed, shaking my head.

"He goes to KU; Ichigo had a class with him. See Kisa, it's like fate." Osuma laughed, leaning against the door frame.

"They like to pick on you, don't they?" She nodded.

"It's because I'm quiet; God forbid someone keeps to themself." Ichigo smiled, patting her head.

"Come on, let's go downstairs. Michiru should be here soon." Osuma stepped back into the hallway, pulling his bag to his shoulder. Kisa gave him a funny look.

"He's staying here?" She turned her look to me. I nodded, returning her expression with an innocent one.

"Yes, is that okay with you?" She shrugged, brushing me off.

"I was just wondering." I laughed again, happier than ever to see her again. After picking up my own bag I led him to the guest room next to Kisa's bedroom.

"You can stay in here Osuma." He nodded, absently dropping his duffle bag onto the floor.

"Thanks again for letting me stay here." I waved him off before leading him down the stairs.

"No problem, I'm glad you're not spending your entire vacation working." When we entered the living room we were greeted by Michiru and Hisagi. The first thing I noticed was the physical change in Michiru. She was tan, her skin no longer "pasty" as she liked to put it. Her light brown hair was longer, reaching her shoulder blades while her bangs laid freely to the side of her face, brushed out of her face. She smiled widely as we approached the two.

"Hi you guys!" She hugged onto me tightly. I returned the gesture.

"Holy crap, look at you, 'Chiru. You're _tan_. In _November._" She laughed at Ichigo's words.

"Yeah, I have a philosophy class outside three times a weeks so..." She quickly stepped towards him and offered him a hug too before embracing Kisa. She looked up at Osuma, offering her hand. "Hello, you must be Osuma." He blinked a little surprised.

"I am and you are?" She smiled.

"I'm Michiru Ogawa, Shuuhei's girlfriend." They shook hands quickly as Mei Mei stepped out of the kitchen.

"Lunch is ready." Her eyes scanned the room as she counted how many people were present. Then she turned and reported the number to Byuakuya. Ichigo and I headed back towards the kitchen, sitting quickly. Kisa sat next to Byuakuya's seat, filling her glass with tea silently. I glanced up at Osuma who stood back and gestured for him to sit between Kisa and I. He smiled, rolling his eyes at me while sitting.

"Your girlfriend is pushy Ichigo." I laughed while filling my own glass with tea. Ichigo chuckled.

"Yes she is, and stubborn so don't expect her to let this go." Byuakuya glanced down at Osuma before giving Ichigo a confused look.

"Let what go?" Ichigo glanced at Kisa before turning back to Byu.

"Osuma hit on Kisa months ago and Rukia's trying to play match maker." I laughed, waving him off.

"I am not! I just think it's strange how he made his way back to Kisa." To my surprise, Kisa laughed.

"He only 'made his way back' because you brought him here." I turned to Osuma, patting his arm.

"I did not bring you here to play match maker, don't let Ichigo put ideas in your head." He nodded.

"I'll try to not let him influence me." Byu glanced down at him giving him a slightly scrutinizing gaze. Osuma noticed, turning to Ichigo immediately. "By the way, thanks for telling her father that I hit on her." He turned to Byuakuya. "If it makes you feel any better sir, she rejected me." Byu offered a small smile.

"Well, I would hope so." Kisa laughed, resting her forehead in her hand.

"Byu, that's rude." She turned her gaze to him, a smile still on her face.

"Wait, why is that funny? I mean you have a boyfriend, he wasn't-" I nudged him, cutting Osuma off.

"Her boyfriend-" I shook my head, deciding to make my explanation as short as possible. "Remember our friend Kon?" A look of understanding fell over Osuma's face.

"Oh...I'm sorry, Kisa." She stared down at her plate, absently playing with her fork.

"Okay, is everyone ready to eat?" Mei Mei entered the kitchen smiling, her husband at her side. Shiomi walked towards Ichigo with her arms out. Ichigo quickly picked her up, sitting her in his lap without saying a word. Byuakuya patted Kisa's shoulder before smiling over at Mei Mei.

"We're ready." Once that short lived awkward silence was over Hisagi started up a conversation with Byu, asking him about work. Soon the topic was turned onto Shuuhei and Michiru. My brother and Uncle asked all of us about our classes. The rest of the meal consisted of our stories from college life and how we were all adapting. Byuakuya asked me how having a roommate was; he knew how much I hated sharing my space. The meal was pleasant, I was just so happy to see everyone again. Between Ichigo and I, I was having more trouble adapting to living so far from home. He seemed to flourish at KU, meeting new people and making new friends all the time. I on the other hand realized how shy I could be once I was thrown into a room full of people.

Once everyone had finished eating we all dispersed. I think Ichigo wanted to go see his family, he acted like he was in a rush so I made a mental note to dismiss us within the next twenty minutes of so. Kisa headed into the living room, sitting on the couch. She noticed me looking her way and smiled softly. I returned the gesture, pushing myself off the way when Ichigo pushed away from the table. Osuma turned to us.

"Where's the restroom?"

"Down the hall, second door to the right." I pointed toward the hallway. He nodded and thanked me before heading that way. Byuakuya grabbed the half empty pitcher off the table as he helped Mei Mei clear the surface. "Hey Byu, I think we're going to head over to Isshin's soon." He nodded.

"Okay, you have your key on you?" I smiled.

"Yes, I won't be out that late though." He returned the gesture, looking over at Ichigo.

"Are you staying here?"

"Not tonight. My dad would disown me." Byu smiled, nodding his head. "I'll probably stay here at least once if that's okay with you."

"That's fine." He turned back to the table.

"Do you guys want any help?"

"No thanks, we'll take care of it. Go talk to your friends." Mei Mei smiled warmly at us, moving around her husband and brother-in-law productively. Ichigo turned to me briefly.

"Hey, do you want to go see Kon before we head over to my dad's?" I nodded, glancing towards Kisa. Osuma was sitting next to her on the couch, asking her something about the piano.

"Sure, we can take Kisa too. I don't think she's been there since we left." He nodded.

"That's a great idea." I didn't answer, feeling a little guilty for bringing Osuma home. I had no intention of making Kisa uncomfortable. "You okay?"

"Yeah." He gave me a stern look, telling me that he didn't fully believe me. I smiled, hugging his waist. "I'm fine." His arms wrapped around me quickly, kissing the top of my head. We pulled apart and headed into the living room.

"Hey guys, we're going to visit Kon, did anyone want to come?" Michiru glanced up, looking pleased.

"Yeah, we'll go." Kisa also nodded, not seeming upset at the meniton of Kon. Ichigo turned to Osuma.

"We won't stay long." He waved Ichigo off.

"No, you guys stay as long as you want. I'll be fine." With that, they all stood, grabbing their jackets. I let Byu know we were leaving as the others headed outside. Michiru offered to swing by the grocery store and pick up some flowers. Ichigo said that we would visit Hisana and Masaki while waiting. After splitting into two cars, Osuma and Kisa riding in the back of my car, we pulled out and headed towards the cemetary. At first the ride was silent but it was a pretty lengthy ride so I decided to make conversation.

"So, Kisa, any colleges seeking you out yet?" She laughed quietly.

"Nope." I glanced back at her, earning a confused look from Osuma but he quickly turned to Kisa.

"Wait, aren't you _in_ college?"

"No, I'm in high school." He blinked, an expression of disbelief on his face. I turned back in my seat, facing the windshield.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen." I smiled, still shocked that she was a sixteen year old senior.

"Are you a freshman in high school?" Again she laughed, probably used to this type of reaction.

"No, I'm a senior."

"...What? What kind of high school do you go to?" Ichigo glanced in the rearview mirror.

"She's a genius, Osuma. Two years ago she started as a freshman, worked until they moved her into the sophomore class and ended the year. Then she was a junior."

"Holy shit, you are a genius." When Kisa didn't respond Osuma laughed, taking her silence as confirmation. "Well, you don't look sixteen. But then again, Rukia doesn't look eighteen." Ichigo laughed, earning a punch to the arm.

"Shut up, creep."

"Creep?"

"Yeah, coming onto a minor like that. It's creepy. You're at least, what twenty?" He scratched the back of his neck.

"Twenty-one." Kisa turned her head to him.

"You're a twenty-one year old freshman?"

"Sophomore, thank you very much. I took a year off to work before starting college, if you must know." We were able to keep up a pleasant conversation until we reached the cemetary. Once parked by the gate we all slid out of the car and headed towards Masaki. Ichigo introduced Osuma quickly. I mentioned the fresh flowers on the grave, kneeling down next to them. Ichigo said it was probably his dad's doing. I noticed a card hanging off one of the flowers and read it aloud.

"Ichigo, I knew you'd go see your mother before you came to see me. Rukia, kick his ass for me. Love, Karin." I laughed, the note was clearly written in Isshin's doctoral scrawl. Ichigo rolled his eyes. "I love your dad."

"Mom, how did you ever put up with him?" Osuma laughed, patting Ichigo's shoulder. We moved over to Hisana's grave.

"Wow, she looks just like you." I smiled, nodding absently. Laying next to her tombstone was an identical bouquet of flowers as Masaki's. My eye caught her day of death. I couldn't believe it had been over a year and a half. The thought blew my mind. Thinking back to my last conversation with Hisana it felt like only a few days ago. I hoped that feeling would last for the rest of my life; it kept me connected to her emotionally. Ichigo grabbed my hand, getting my attention.

"Hisagi and Michiru are here." I nodded, stepping away from the grave. We headed towards Kon's grave, meeting up with Michiru and Shuuhei. She had her arms full of flowers, kneeling next to his stone.

"Hey, Kon, we brought you some flowers." She sat one of the three bouquets in the grass next to the stone, placing it neatly. "Can you believe it's already November? Your birthday is in a month! That's crazy." We continued to stand while she grabbed a single dried up dead flower that had been left. After she cleaned up the small space she pushed herself off the ground. "I've already made plans to fly home that day to go visit your mother." Ichigo looked down at her.

"You did?" Michiru looked up at him, her eyes glazed over despite the smile on her face.

"Yup, if anyone wants to join me they can. That is, if you can get out of class." Ichigo glanced at Hisagi before nodding. Shuuhei was staring down at the tombstone, not paying us any attention. Michiru turned to him as well before grabbing his hand tightly. "Sagi, don't be sad." He covered his eyes with his free hand, his head down. She hugged onto his arm, trying to comfort him. Kisa sat on the ground next to the grave, absently playing with the grass. I think she wanted to talk to him but didn't want us around. Michiru smiled down at her. "There's no reason to be sad, right Kisa? Kon was just too good of a person, he didn't belong with his family here. God couldn't stand to live without him so He brought Kon home." Kisa smiled slightly, seeming to like that explanation. I smiled also, despite the tears building up in my eyes. Michiru tugged on Hisagi's arm. "Don't worry, Sweety, we'll see Kon again, eventually." Ichigo patted her head.

"I love you, 'Chiru." She smiled up at him as a few tears escaped her.

"I love you, too." Her gaze turned back to Shuuhei. "Come on, why don't we take these flowers to Hisana and Masaki before heading out. I talked to Tatsuki on the way to the store, she's going to meet us at your house." Ichigo nodded, stepping back. When we noticed Kisa's lack of enthusiasm Michiru spoke up again. "Come on guys, let's give Kisa a minute." We headed towards Hisana's grave in silence. As her picture came into view a memory of my last talk with Hisana came into my head.

_"Rukia, please promise me one thing." I was clutching onto her hand with a flood of tears running down my face. There was no way I would accept losing her._

_"W-what?" She smiled weakly._

_"No matter what happens, remember to be happy. That's all I've ever wanted for you, I've tried so hard to give you that but I can't. You have to find your own happiness. So, promise me you'll accept whatever happens and _remember _be happy." I nodded weakly, as she leaned back against her pillow._

That was the last time I talked to her. That night Hisana fell into her coma; the coma that took away my sister, mother, and best friend. More tears started escaping me as I hugged onto Ichigo's arm. Regardless of everything that had happened in the last two years, I was happy. I had the perfect boyfriend, my new-found sister, great friends, and a strong relationship with the family I had left. There wasn't a day when I didn't miss Kon or Hisana but I _was_ happy and that counted for something.

-:-

**So...this is it guys. This is where it stops. This has been an amazing writing experience for me and I'm sooooo sad to see it end. I've come to love this plot and wish it could continue but as I've repeated to my sister a million times, everything ends eventually. Thank you to all who have loyally read this; I hope I didn't disappoint. **

**Everyone keep an eye out though, you never know if there may be a new story heading your way or maybe even...a bonus chapter? :) **

**Thank you again!**


	27. Chapter 27

**So here is a bonus chapter! I don't want to give anything away so there isn't much to be said.**

**Before I start I just wanted to say that if I get enough requests and I think readers would enjoy I'll do an epilogue to the story. If that's something you would like to read, please review or message me and let me know!**

**Anyway, on with the bonus chapter!**

-:-

_September, 1998_

The car halted just outside of the local high school's doors. The building was old, the bricks rusted orange from sprinkles. There were two large lights on either side of the entrance. It felt trivial, being dropped off at some public school I'd never even heard of. It was also ironic because there was never a day when I actually was in high school that my brother had taken me. I immediately unbuckled, hoping to get in and out as soon as possible. As I started to push the door open my brother grabbed my arm, stopping me.

"I'll be here at eight-thirty." I nodded, opening the door and stepping out. "Try to have fun and don't just sit in the back without saying a word. You're going to be spending a lot of time here in the next month so try to make some friends." I sighed internally, still shocked to be hearing this from my brother of all people. I wasn't quite sure what had happened to the judgemental attitude he'd had since birth but I was sick of being preached to.

"I know." Instead of getting agrivated he simply smiled and told me goodbye. I shut the door before turning and walking towards the entrance. There were signs hanging on the wall leading me to room 113A. As I drew closer to the door I could hear a lot of chatter coming from the room, making me wonder how many people there would be. I took a step through the door, surprised to see five rows of tables on each side of the room with almost every table full. Despite my shock I was able to maintain my neutral expression. The instructor noticed me and waved me over to her desk with a smile on her face.

"Find the folder with your name and have a seat." I quickly grabbed the materials and turned, scanning the room for an isolated spot. There was a two seater in the back corner so I instinctively headed in that direction. It wasn't until I was a few feet from the small table that I realized someone had occupied one of the seats. A small girl was sitting against the counter with her elbow resting on the table's surface. Her chin rested in the palm of her hand as she airsnored quietly. Her expression was serene. The girl's hair was of medium length and black, the ends slightly curling outward. A long piece fell between her eyes, resting against her nose. She was pretty small, although I couldn't tell whether she was short or tall. Her petite shoulders were slumped slightly, giving her a relaxed look. She was donning a black blouse and a light blue skirt. After taking in her appearance I grabbed the empty chair and pulled it back before taking a seat. I placed my folder on the table, or rather desk, and turned towards the front of the room. Absently, I leaned forward against the desk, moving it slightly. The girl next to me jumped awake and shot me a glance. I turned back towards her as she blinked a few times.

"...I apologize." She smiled at my words, brushing it off.

"Oh, it's okay, I shouldn't be sleeping." She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a yawn. Then she pushed herself out of her chair to look over the people in front of us. When she realized the teacher was still welcoming the last few people she took her seat. Her violet eyes turned on me, causing me to freeze momentarily. "Do you know what time it is?" After I blinked a few times I looked down at my watch.

"Five after seven." The girl sighed, sounding impatient.

"Thank you." She rested her chin in her palm again, her eyes on the folder I had been given. "Byuakuya Kuchiki. Hm." I looked down at her expectantly. "Kuchiki...isn't that the name of a law firm on the other side of town?"

"Yes, it's my father's." A smile returned to her face.

"Ah, that's neat." She held her hand out to me. "I'm Hisana, it's nice to meet you." Without hesitation I shook her hand. Before I could say another word the instructor spoke up, introducing herself quickly.

"Welcome everyone to Introduction to Cooking. Over the next four weeks we will go over the basic techniques in preparing common foods and desserts. However, tonight is more about each of you getting to know your work partners. Without realizing it, you've all chosen your partners for the next month so it'd be a good idea for everyone to get to know one another." Hisana leaned back in her chair, opening her folder and digging through it absently. "If you look in your folders you will all find a few papers with questions printed in bold ink. Use these questions as a guidline to learn a few things about your partner. We will take ten minutes to ask each other questions before moving on." With that, the instructor sat at her desk and started shuffling through papers. The room grew loud again as everyone started speaking. I turned to Hisana as she read through some of the questions.

"Pfft, we don't need these." She grinned as she stuffed the papers back into the sleeve of her folder. "So," she began as she turned in her seat, "let's start with the basic stuff. How old are you?"

"I-"

"Wait, I wanna guess." She gazed at me observantly. "Nineteen?"

"Twenty." She nodded.

"Okay, guess my age." I took a brief moment to think it over.

"Seventeen." She laughed shaking her head.

"No. I'm fourteen." I blinked, caught off guard.

"Oh." Her smile widened.

"So, what do you preferred to be called? Surname or forename?" In all honesty the only people to call me by my first name were my family or any close family friends.

"Either; it doesn't matter. You?"

"Call me Hisana or Sana." I nodded, making no further comment. For some reason sitting next to Hisana I felt extremely self-conscious. I folded my hands in my lap, waiting for her to ask something else. "Why are you here?" My eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"...To take this cooking course." Her expression shifted; she looked at me like I was a moron.

"Well, duh." She laughed. " I meant why are you taking this class? What made you want to take a cooking class?"

"My mother; she told me I should learn how to cook and then signed me up."

"So you're being forced into this. Me too." Hisana held her hands up. "Oh and I should apologize to you and your mother now because I will probably fail us."

"How would you know that?"

"Because no one in my family can cook, especially the women. I'm doomed to fail, that's why I don't understand why my parents are wasting the money to send me here."

"Your attitude has a lot to do with the outcome, Hisana." As the words left my mouth her face fell. Again her expression was thoughtful as she nodded slightly.

"You're right, I shouldn't talk like that. Surely even I can make it through an intro course." She beamed up at me, looking pleased. "Thanks." There was a short silence as she searched for another question to ask. "Are you in college?"

"Yes, law school."

"Ah, I see, following in your father's footsteps. Do you like it?" I shrugged without even thinking about it.

"Yes." She gave me an unsure look.

"You don't sound very confident about that." I offered her another shrug.

"So you're in high school?"

"Yes I am, I just started about a month ago. I'm ready for it to be over." I couldn't contain the smile that flashed across my face.

"Why's that?"

"Because it sucks. I'm being forced to study a ton of subjects I don't even care about and I'm stuck in a building full of mean teenagers." Her eyes were down as she absently scribbled on a sheet of the paper. When I didn't say anything in response she looked up at me, her violet orbs holding me in place. "Don't tell me you actually liked high school."

"It was okay."

"You probably went to a private school though." I nodded, earning a soft smile. "Public school is awful. The kids there are so rude and most teachers don't reinforce the rules which makes the kids act even worse."

"Do you know what you want to study once you're in college?"

"Hm." Her eyebrows furrowed. "Elementary education maybe, I just want a job where I get to interact with kids."

"What age?"

"Anywhere between four to seven years old. I have a little sister, she's five, and I just love taking care of her. She made me realize how awesome kids are." I noticed something in her expression change when she talked about her little sister, giving me a feeling that she meant a lot to Hisana.

"What's your sister's name?"

"Rukia."

"Is she your only sibling?" Hisana nodded, resting her head in her hand.

"What about you? Do you have any siblings?"

"Yes, I have four brothers and one sister." Her eyebrows rose slightly.

"Oh wow. Older, younger?"

"Three are older, one's younger. My sister is also older." She nodded attentively.

"Well, I guess your father doesn't have to worry about the Kuchiki name dying out anytime soon." I laughed, nodding in agreement.

The instructor stood from her desk and announced the next planned activity. The night dragged on although we were given a few minutes to talk every twenty minutes or so. Finally eight-thirty rolled around and we were dismissed. I pushed myself away from the desk, grabbing my previously untouched folder. Hisana was stuffing the rest of her papers back into her own folder. After slipping her belongings into her bag and slinging it over her shoulder she stood. I was shocked at how short she was; her head barely reached my elbow. She tilted back her head, looking up at me.

"You are tall!" I smiled as I followed the crowd of people filing out of the door and into the hallway. Hisana followed, a step behind. When we reached the doors I pushed it open, holding it for her. I immediately started scanning for my brother, finding his car quickly. Katsurou waved my way, smiling. I took a step closer to the car but stopped when a small hand grabbed onto my arm. "It was really nice meeting you, Byuakuya." I turned, looking down at her. I offered her a smile, stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"It was nice to meet you too, I'll see you tomorrow." She let go of my arm and took a step back.

"See ya." With that she turned and headed down the sidewalk, walking towards the main road.

"Wait." She stopped mid-step and turned back. "Are you...walking home?"

"Yeah." She smiled, her small hand clutching onto the strap of her bag.

"It's pretty dark, would you like a ride?" She held up her hands.

"No thank you, I'll be fine." After a slight hesitation I nodded. Her smile widened as she waved. "Bye, Byu, see you tomorrow." Hisana turned again and left. I stood in place for another moment before approaching my brother's car and sliding in.

"Is that girl walking home this late at night?" Katsurou was staring intently into his rearview mirror. "Geez, Byuakuya, didn't you offer her a ride?" I sighed.

"Yes, Katsurou." He laughed under his breath.

"Okay, I was just asking." After glancing in the rearview mirror one last time he put the car in drive and started following the vehicle in front of him. "She looked nice." I rested my chin in my hand, staring outside the window.

"Mmhm." Katsurou laughed, nudging me.

"Come on 'Yuakuya, talk to me." I glanced over at him.

"What do you want me to say?" He had a smile on his face as he turned onto the road.

"What's her name?"

"Hisana." Glancing out the windshield I noticed her walking on the sidewalk in the same direction we were heading. Katsurou honked the horn, getting her attention and waving at her in a friendly manner. She smiled back, waving quickly.

"She's cute." I didn't comment, turning back to stare out the window. "Is she in college?"

"She's fourteen, she's in high school."

"What? No way, she doesn't look that young." The car slowed down as we approached a stop sign. Katsurou glanced over at me but I chose to ignore him. "Don't act so disappointed, there's nothing wrong with a little age difference." I sighed again. He flicked on his turn signal as the car started to glide to the right. The rest of the ride was spent in silence as we headed home.

-:-

In the following three weeks I spent five nights a week going to the mind-numbing cooking class. Everything taught almost seemed like common sense but I didn't complain once, trying to keep my mother off my back. Despite the boring material I was more than happy to go to the high school if only to see Hisana. I wasn't going to deny that I liked her; she was beautiful and kind with a great sense of humor. However, I was sensitive to the fact that I was six years older than her.

During those weeks we got to know each other pretty well. She told me about her alcoholic parents and how they dumped all their reponsibilities on her. According to Hisana she was the main care-taker of Rukia, her five year old sister, she was liable for the up-keeping of the house, she had to maintain her 3.8 GPA while doing things like grocery shopping. She was living the life of a single mother except she had her parents breathing down her neck, scolding her everytime she made a mistake. How she was able to stay so positive was beyond me.

With all the time we had to talk during practice sessions she inevitably asked me questions about my family. I told her about my parents and how we lacked a real relationship. When she asked about my relationship with my brothers and sister I simply told her it was complicated but she insisted I explain. So, I told her about how as siblings we tried to stick together, my older brothers and Anzu often standing up for me and my youngest brother in front of my parents. Despite that we still had our differences. Most of my siblings were like my parents, stuck up. They all thought they were above others simply because they came from a family with wealth and power in the community. None of them wanted me to associate with people "below" the family which really bothered me. Katsurou had once been that way until some "life-changing" experience he had at college. I was nervous to tell Hisana about my family because I knew she came from a lower class family. Instead of acting offended she smiled, patting my arm reasurringly.

Sometime during the third week we were assigned a "hands on test". We were in the baked goods units and were given a general type of dessert. The assigment was to choose a recipe and, with our cooking partners, attempt it out-side of class. After discussing it with her parents Hisana asked if we could do the work at her place because her father didn't want her going to my house. I agreed, offering to swing by the store and pick up the necessary ingredients before showing up at her house. She smiled, thanking me. That Friday I left for the grocery store at one, giving myself thirty minutes to get everything we needed and get to her place. After a little bit of confusion I was able to find her apartment building. Grabbing the two small bags of ingredients for our cake, I slid out of my car. Once the doors were locked I headed towards the door, feeling a little nervous. I climbed the stairs and walked down the small corridor before reaching apartment 2B. The sound of shuffling feet could be heard on the other side of the door. I tapped my knuckles against the surface. The door was pulled open revealing a man with dark shaggy hair. He was half a foot shorter than me; he was donning jeans and a buttoned up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, the tail untucked. I could tell by looking at him that he was middle-aged. I could also see the slightest resemblance to Hisana though it was simply his facial features, such as his large eyes.

The man stared at me skeptically before turning and shouting, "Hisana, I think that kid's here." He stepped back, allowing me to enter. The living room was small, almost crowded once I entered it. Despite its size, the room was well kept. The walls were white and bare. Hisana called out from down the hall, claiming she'd "be right there". I turned to her father and introduced myself, holding out my hand. He shook it without a word. I felt my shoulders stiffen slightly, the man made me nervous. Hisana came down the hall wearing a yellow sundress. Her hair was tied up in a messy bun. She was holding a small girl up to her hip. Rukia looked exactly like Hisana, simply younger. Rukia's face held a tired expression as she rubbed her eyes with her tiny fist. Hisana smiled up at me, holding her hand out expectantly. I gave her a questioning look, unsure of her gesture.

"I'll take the ingredients to the kitchen if you'll hand them over." Her smile widened as I handed her the two grocery bags. She looked down at her sister. "Rukia, this is Byuakuya. Can you say hello?" Instead of answering Rukia laid her head against Hisana's shoulder, earning a laugh from her big sister. "Byuakuya, this is my dad, Makito. Dad, Byuakuya." He nodded, stepping around us.

"Where's your mother?" Hisana turned, glancing down the hallway.

"Um, I think she's in your bathroom." Makito sighed, sounding annoyed, leaving the room. Hisana rolled her eyes.

"Ignore him, he's pretty rude." She spoke quietly. "Let's take this stuff to the kitchen." I glanced to the left of the living room towards the large opening that led to the kitchen. Hisana headed that way, readjusting Rukia. Once in the kitchen Hisana sat Rukia on the nearest chair and sat the bags on the counter. "Would you like anything to drink?"

"I want water, please." Rukia's eyes were on her sister as she quietly requested a drink. Hisana smiled, looking down at her.

"I wasn't asking you, Sweety." She patted Rukia's head before turning to the cabinet and grabbing a small plastic cup. While digging in the fridge she asked me again if I wanted something to drink.

"No thank you." Hisana pulled out a water bottle, pouring half of its contents into Rukia's glass before sitting it on the small table in front of her. After recapping the bottle she sat it on the table also.

"Hisana, where's my purse?" I turned as a small woman entered the kitchen. The sight of her shocked me, for a moment I thought she was Hisana's sister but I knew she had to be their mother. The woman was the same height and size of Hisana with long dark hair shaped in a similar fashion, the ends reaching her back. She was donning a short white dress, a bag slung over her shoulder.

"You mean the one you're wearing?" The woman rolled her eyes, smiling.

"No, you smartass, the one with my wallet." Hisana thought for a moment.

"I think you stuck your wallet in your dresser, you emptied your small purse a few days ago." Her mother nodded as if she remembered doing just that.

"You're right, thanks." She turned to leave but Hisana stopped her.

"Wait, Mom." The woman turned back to us.

"Oh, right, sorry." She waved, standing back near the entrance. "Hi there, you must be..."

"Byuakuya." She nodded again.

"Right. I'm Yumi, it's nice to meet you." As she spoke Makito walked into the kitchen, handing her a small black wallet. "Oh, thanks."

"Let's go." He stepped back into the living room waiting for her to follow. She rolled her eyes and she slipped her wallet into her bag.

"Bye you guys, have fun. Let us know if Rukia gives you any trouble." With that she headed towards the living room. After a moment of silence we heard the door slam shut. My eyebrows turned down, confused as to why they were leaving. I thought the main reason for doing this "assignment" at their home was so Hisana and I wouldn't be left alone.

"I should've told you yesterday. Turns out they needed a babysitter tonight, that's why I wasn't aloud to go to your place." She rolled her eyes, her face holding the same expression her mother had just made a few moments before. "Sorry, I didn't know I was volunteering you to help babysit." I smiled slightly, looking down at Rukia.

"Don't apologize, I don't mind." She returned the gesture, leaning back against the counter.

"So are you ready to bake a cake?" I nodded, absently pulling my hair into a ponytail. "Do you mind if Rukia helps? I don't want to her sitting around bored for the next hour or so."

"That's fine with me." Rukia looked up at the mention of her name, glancing towards me before looking at Hisana questioningly.

"You wanna help us?" The girl nodded enthusiastically. "Ruk, Mom and Dad are gone you don't have to be so quiet. So, do you want to help or not?"

"Yes." Hisana leaned closer to Rukia, her hand to her ear.

"What? I can't hear you." Rukia grinned.

"Yes!" She yelled as loud as she possibly could, earning a laugh from her sister.

"That's better." Hisana pushed herself away from the counter. "Grab the milk and a carton of eggs from the fridge but be careful so you don't drop them." Rukia slid out of her chair and started digging in the fridge as Hisana opened a cabinet, pulling out a large mixing bowl and a plain flat cake pan. "Byu, do you have the recipe?"

"Yes." I pulled the folded piece of paper out of my pocket, sitting it on the counter next to Hisana. She nodded, staring down at it intently. Then she started digging in the cabinets for the dry ingredients she did have. Once everything was out we moved the materials to the table and took a seat, Rukia occupying Hisana's lap. She grabbed a dry measuring cup and opened the container holding the flour, handing Rukia a spoon.

"Okay Ruk, fill this up." The girl started spooning the flour quickly, spilling some on the table. "Hey, watch what you're doing and slow down. Don't make such a mess." Rukia did as she was told, concentrating deeply on the task at hand. I smiled down at the determined little girl. As she worked she continued to blow her bangs out of her face. Hisana noticed and glanced at the counter behind her before looking up at me. "Can you do me a favor while she's doing this?" I nodded. "If you go down the hall and into the second door on the right there's a tall white dresser. There should be a tiny red hair clip, will you get it for me?" Again I nodded, feeling a little uncomfortable with her request. She didn't seem to mind as I walked down the hall following her directions. Once I found the clip I returned to her quickly. She pinned back her sisters hair and started pulling it into a ponytail, her hand sliding down to her opposite wrist expectantly. "Shoot." Her eyes returned to me, a smile on her face. "Do you have an extra hair tie?" I smiled as I dug in my pocket, finding one. Rukia continued to work as her sister finished with her hair.

"What's next, Sana?" Hisana read off the next dry ingredient and the amount to be added, telling Rukia that it was my turn to measure it out. Once all the dry ingredients were taken care of she pushed herself away from the table, sitting Rukia in the chair. Hisana grabbed a measuring cup and stepped over to the sink.

"Byuakuya, help her measure the milk will you?" I looked down at the paper to see exactly how much and handed Rukia a small plastic measuring cup. I uncapped the milk jug and started pouring just as Rukia turned, moving the measuring cup with her. Milk splashed onto the table as I quickly tipped the jug back. Rukia's eyes widened as she froze. I laughed at her expression causing her to stiffen.

"Rukia, what're you doing?" I carefully grabbed her wrist, pushing the measuring tool until it was sitting on the table. "Now hold it still, okay?" She nodded as I poured out a cup of milk.

"...Sorry." Her face held a guilty expression as I twisted the lid back onto the milk container.

"Don't apologize, it's not a big deal." She gave me an unsure look before pouring the milk into the bowl. Hisana smiled at her sister, handing me a paper towel. I quickly wiped up the mess while Hisana poured the water into the mix. Then she quickly poured out the oil, adding it to the bowl.

"Ready to mix, Ruk?" When her sister nodded Hisana quickly picked her up, sitting her on my lap. I stiffened, surprised by her actions. She handed Rukia a wisk. "Byu's going to help okay, so try not to make a mess." Rukia held the whisk in her right hand, staring at it for a moment before switching it to her left hand, getting a feel for it. She shook her head before replacing it in her right hand. She held it above the bowl and then froze. After a moment she turned to look up at me.

"Aren't you going to help?" I smiled softly and grabbed the whisk's handle, placing my hand over hers before I began mixing the batter.

"Crap, I forgot to preheat the oven." Hisana sighed, turning the knob on the stove to the appropriate temperature.

"Aren't you also forgetting the eggs?" She glanced at the table, finding the two eggs sitting in place. She sighed again. Hisana grabbed one and tapped it against the edge of the bowl, cracking it and pouring its contents into the batter. She did the same with the second egg, successfully breaking the shell into pieces and dropping the entire thing in.

"Crap!" Rukia and I stopped mixing right away as she dug out the shell. I laughed, helping her pick out the small pieces. She did this sixty percent of the time I let her crack the eggs. "Yeah, laugh it up." My smile widened as she threw away the pieces.

"Did you get them all?" She leaned closer.

"Yes."

"Are you sure?"

"Shut up and mix it already." Rukia looked up at her sister.

"Hisana, that's not very nice." We both laughed as she explained to Rukia that she was teasing. I continued to mix, moving Rukia's small hand with my own. Once the batter was ready Hisana poured it into the greased pan and set it in the oven, setting a timer to go off. She sat back at the table, resting her hands on its surface. Rukia leaned back, her head resting against my chest. Without thinking about it I wrapped an arm around her. Hisana smiled at my actions.

"I've never seen you this comfortable with anyone before."

"She's a child, I don't see how she could make me uncomfortable." Her smile widened, nodding.

"True." Her eyes turned to Rukia. "Do you like Byu?" She nodded, kicking her feet absently. "I think he likes you too." Shifting her eyes back to me she asked, "Do you have any nieces or nephews?"

"Yes, my sister Anzu has a four year old daughter named Kaminari."

"Do you see her a lot?" I shook my head.

"Anzu has been pretty disconnected since she got married, she doesn't visit much. My two oldest brothers have kids also but they're the same way. They visit but we never see their wives or children."

"That's strange." I shrugged.

"Not really, it's actually quite like them." Her smile returned as she rested her head in her hand.

"I know you're only twenty but do you think you want to be a father one day?" My shoulders stiffened slightly, her question making me nervous.

"Um, I can't say I've thought about it." Rukia looked up at me, tilting her head back. At first her eyes met mine, then they wondered off. She reached her hand up, turning in my lap, and quickly felt my hair. I chuckled under my breath. I looked back to Hisana as Rukia turned back, leaning against me again. "I'm sure you already know how many kids you want. You've probably already picked out names." She laughed, waving off my comment.

"Please, I only have two names picked out."

"How many do you want?"

"At least four." I blinked, not entirely surprised.

"Boys, girls?"

"Two of each." I thought how to word my next question.

"Is a family more important to you than an education?" Her eyebrows rose.

"I wouldn't say an education is more important but it's definitely a priority. I've learned from my parents' mistakes, I know how necessary a good education is in our society." She stared off thoughtfully. "I just want to give my family, Rukia included, a better life than this." As she spoke I stared at her intently. It was conversations like these that made me realize and solidly believe that Hisana was a mature and knowledgeable person. She didn't see the world like most fourteen year old girls. This maturity was one of the things that made me think one day I might build up the courage to look past our age difference and act on my feelings. She turned back to me, noticing me staring at her. I blinked, glancing away momentarily. "What was that look for?" A smile spread over her face as I met her gaze.

"Nothing, I just...can't believe you're only fourteen." She laughed.

"Based on my answer?" I nodded. "I assure you, I'm not as mature as I sound. Although there are days I absolutely hate living here, I know I could never survive without my parents. Even though they don't have jobs they've managed to secure me with a home to live in and food to eat."

"Getting a job and providing those things don't make a person mature. Plenty of people have homes and jobs and provide for their children. The way you see things is what makes you more of an adult than most people your age." She simply shrugged modestly. There was a moment of silence between us. Hisana stood, peaking in the oven to check the progress of our cake. As she sat back down I felt Rukia lean to the left as she rested more weight against me. I slightly tightened my grip to keep her from falling. Hisana's smile returned.

"She fell asleep." I looked down at Rukia; her head was lying on my arm, her eyes shut. I felt her tiny hands grasp onto my sleeve as Hisana reached over, shaking her carefully. "Rukia, Sweety, get up." The girl's eyelids slid open as she looked up at her sister with glazed over eyes.

"Hm?" I smiled as she burried half her face in the fabric of my shirt, finding her actions extremely adorable. Hisana's grin grew.

"No, no, get up. You've already had a nap today, there's no reason to be sleeping." Hisana pushed herself away from the table, approaching the counter. She dug in one of the drawers and pulled out a few pieces of paper and a pencil, sitting the materials in front of Rukia. "Here, why don't you practice writing out the alphabet." Rukia rested her elbows on the table, not looking very enthusiastic about the alphabet. Regardless she picked up the pencil and started spelling it out in a childish scrawl. Hisana glanced at me, still standing next to the table. "Can I mess with your hair?"

"Uh, sure." She walked around my chair, standing behind me. I felt her carefully pull the hair tie out, letting my hair fall freely. At first she did nothing but run her hands through it.

"You're hair is so soft." Rukia turned in my lap, looking over my shoulder at her sister. "To be honest, I've wanted to feel your hair since the first day of class." I laughed quietly, tensing slightly. I tried to focus on Rukia as she turned back to the paper and started shaping a crooked 'k'. Once she got to 'z' she turned the paper and drew a large number sign. My eyebrows turned down as she drew an 'o' in the center. Then Rukia handed me the pencil.

"Your turn." I stared at the tic-tac-toe board momentarily before randomly choosing a slot and marking an 'x'. Hisana laughed as she started braiding my hair.

"That's not very educational Ruk." The girl shrugged, not paying her sister any attention. We played multiple rounds of the game as Hisana continued to mess with my hair, the room silent. After about fifteen minutes the timer went off. Hisana stopped what she was doing and checked on the cake.

"Did it survive?" She smiled over at me, closing the oven again.

"It's not done, it still looks like batter." I nodded as she turned her attention to Rukia. "Do you want to go on the balcony for a few minutes? It's supposed to be pretty breezy out today?" Rukia nodded, pushing the paper and pencil aside. She slid out of my grip, slipping onto the floor. "Is that okay with you? It's getting a little warm in here."

"That's fine." I stood, pushing the chair in. Hisana led Rukia and I through the living room, pulling the sliding door open. Rukia stepped out, leaning against the railing right away. I followed her, enjoying the cool breeze. Hisana left the door open, leaning against the railing as well. She rested her elbow on the ledge, sitting her chin in her palm.

"Can you believe we only have a week of class left?" She eyed me, a rarely neutral expression on her face.

"Three weeks have gone by pretty fast." She nodded, a weak smile now playing on her lips.

"What're we gonna do?" Her tone was teasing and rhetorical. "Are you excited to get back to school?" My classes were starting pretty late this semester and the thought of going back made me cringe internally.

"Not really. Speaking of school, why aren't you in school? It's a week day." She smiled.

"We have today and Monday off for a short fall break. Do you really think I'd skip school to bake a cake?" I smiled in response, absently leaning back. "Seriously though, it's going to be weird once class is over." Nodding, I folded my arms.

"I know, I won't get to cook with the worst partner in existence." She laughed, momentarily covering her mouth with her hand.

"I'm surprised I haven't started a fire yet."

"Well, to be fair you've had a few close calls." She sighed, staring off with a smile on her face.

"True. I hope I haven't taken away from your cooking experience."

"Of course not, if anything you made it better." Again she let out a quiet chuckle, smiling up at me. "You're pretty amusing."

"Well, I'm not trying. I told you my family is cursed."

"I'm starting to believe you." She held her hand up, pointing a finger at me.

"Good." There was a lull in the conversation as she turned and stared off towards a small patch of trees behind the apartment building. I watched her silently as a strange sensation came over me. I realized for the first time since I was a child I had the desire to physically reach out to someone. The thought of Hisana stepping out of my life bothered me more than I thought it would. I closed my hand around the railing as if it would stop me from moving closer to her. She turned towards me, smiling as if she could read my thoughts. Hisana pushed herself off the railing and took a step closer to me. I tensed, still watching her as she picked up Rukia. After bouncing her sister slightly in her grip she met my eyes again. "I'm going to miss your company once this is all over." I froze mentally, scrambling for the right response. Before I could come up with anything Rukia pointed towards the living room.

"Sana there's smoke coming from the kitchen." She quickly glanced inside. A black cloud of smoke could be seen coming from the oven.

"Oh, no!" She sat Rukia down, instructing her to stay there before rushing back into the apartment. I followed her, reminding Rukia to stay back. Hisana pulled open the oven, waving the smoke out of her face. I leaned down, a step away from her, peering at the cake. Instead of rising properly the batter had begun to spill over the edge of the pan, burning on the rack. Hisana quickly turned off the oven and grabbed oven mitts, pulling the pan out and sitting it on the stove top.

"What happened?" She frowned down at the oozing batter.

"I don't know..." I smiled, lightly touching her arm.

"It's your curse." She laughed loudly, nodding.

"It is." Rukia stood by the entrance.

"What's wrong?"

"Sweety, our cake didn't make it." Rukia frowned.

"Oh, no." I laughed at her face; she had to be the cutest kid I'd ever met.

"Byu, why don't you take Rukia back outside while I clean the oven. I think we're done baking." I turned back to Hisana.

"Do you want any help?" She smiled up at me, lightly nudging me towards the living room.

"You are helping, you're keeping her company and out of trouble." I smiled again, looking to Rukia. She held her arms out as I approached her. After picking her up I stepped into the living room, leaving Hisana to cleaning up our mess. I noted some toys on the floor earlier and took a seat on the carpet, sitting Rukia down next to me. Instead of playing she crawled into my lap and leaned her weight against my chest. She closed her eyes and relaxed.

"Rukia." I rested a hand on her back but she didn't respond. I couldn't bring myself to shake her awake so I leaned back, resting my weight on my free hand. Rukia wrapped her small arms around me. After a few minutes of sitting there I laid back and stared at the ceiling. I could hear Hisana running water in the sink as she rinsed out the batter. She took almost an entire half hour to scrub the pan and oven clean. She also washed the dishes we had used while preparing the cake mix. I felt guilty that I didn't help but I knew she'd refuse if I offered. Once she was finished she stepped into the living room and smiled down at us, her hands on her hips.

"She's asleep again?" I nodded, pushing myself into a sitting position.

"Does she always sleep this much?" Hisana shook her head, leaning against the arm of the couch.

"Last night was a little rough." My eyebrows furrowed slightly.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." She seemed to hesitate, stopping herself from continuing. I wasn't sure if she wanted to talk about the issue or not but decided to ask.

"What happened?" Her eyes went to Rukia's sleeping form.

"My dad just..." She shook her head. "He got into an arguement with my mom; they were up yelling at each other for a while. I tried to put Rukia to bed but she probably didn't sleep until two in the morning." My eyebrows rose slightly in surprise.

"Did they keep you up too?"

"I stayed out here to make sure they didn't do anything to really hurt each other."

"So, you were up just as late." She nodded, meeting my eyes again.

"You get used to it; I'm usually up pretty late anyway." A small smile rested on her lips.

"Do you want me to leave so you two can rest?" Hisana waved me off, shaking her head.

"No, no, it's already going on two-thirty. I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway. Besides we-" She froze mid-sentence, worrying me. "Crap, we have class tonight." I nodded, unsure as to why she was so frustrated. "My parents won't be back in time, there's no one to watch Rukia." After a brief moment she sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I guess I'm not going to class tonight." Instead of looking irritated she smiled, her eyes on her sister. Trying to think of a solution, my brother came to mind.

"I could always ask Katsurou to watch her, if you're comfortable with that." Her smile widened as she pushed herself off the couch. She walked around me and took a seat on the floor in front of me.

"I'm sure your brother has better things to do." I laughed, thinking about unemployed Katsurou, laying around our parents house and putting off finding a job for as long as possible.

"He really doesn't, besides there's no harm in trying." After hesitating she nodded.

"Only if you're sure he'd be okay with it."

"I'm sure he won't have an issue with watching her." Again she hesitated before standing and retrieving their phone. I dialed the house number and waited until someone picked up. "Hello, this is Byuakuya, may I please speak with Katsurou?" There was a shuffling sound as my brother was called to the phone. Once he was handed the phone he greeted me, sounding generally pleased.

"Hey 'Yuakuya, what can I do for you?"

"Are you busy tonight?" He laughed at my question as if I should already know the answer. I smiled at his reaction but waited for him to answer regardless.

"Um, no I'm not. Are you trying to rub it in?"

"Of course not. I was just wondering if you'd be willing to watch Hisana's little sister tonight. Her parents are going to be gone and we have class." He was quiet for a moment.

"How old is she?"

"Five, I believe." Hisana nodded. "Yes, she's five."

"She's not out of control is she?" I laughed, leaning back on my free hand.

"No, she's pretty quiet."

"Alright, I'll do it. What time do you need to leave to get there?" I thought about the distance between Hisana's home and the high school.

"No later than six-fifty."

"Okay, give me their address. I'll be there around six-thirty." I thanked him, earning a relieved look from Hisana. "Are her parents okay with Hisana leaving their kid with me?" I looked up at Hisana and asked her. She reassured me that they wouldn't care. After giving him the address I thanked him again and hung up. Once the phone was sitting back in its cradle she took Rukia from me and dismissed herself, heading down the hallway. When she returned she offered me something to drink and led me back to the table where we spent most of the remaining time talking.

At three-thirty Hisana woke Rukia from her nap and explained to her that my brother would be watching her that night. She seemed perfectly comfortable with the idea. After drinking some water she sat in the living room and played on the carpet. When six-thirty rolled around there was a knock on the door, getting Rukia's attention. Hisana answered the door, ushering my brother into her small living room. He waved lazily when he saw me. Hisana thanked him for agreeing to watch Rukia.

"It's no big deal, as 'Yuakuya probably told you, I don't have much going on right now. It's not like I had anything better to do." She laughed, smiling over at me.

"Yeah, 'Yuakuya said something like that." Katsurou smiled down at her, laying a hand on her head briefly.

"So, where's the kid?" Rukia walked out of the kitchen with her small glass of water, as if on cue, eyeing my brother before turning back to her coloring book that rested on the floor.

"Rukia, come here." After glancing towards my brother again she quickly walked over to her sister's side. Hisana picked her up and introduced the small girl. "This is Rukia. Ruk, this is Katsurou, Byu's big brother." Katsurou held his hands out, offering to take Rukia. She trustingly reached out to him until he pulled her out of Hisana's arms.

"Well, it's nice to meet both of you." Once readjusting Rukia, he held his hand out to Hisana. They shook hands quickly. "How'd your cake turn out?" Hisana and I laughed earning an unsure look from my brother. "I'm guessing not very well."

"For some reason it didn't really bake, it just spilled out of the pan and burned all over the oven rack." Hisana smiled over at me as she explained our earlier baking issue.

"That's disappointing. I was looking forward to cake." Hisana's smile grew as she sympathetically patted his arm.

"I'm sorry, I tend to ruin most of our food." He laughed, glancing at me quickly before turning back to her.

"Ah, having a little trouble in cooking class?"

"You could call it that."

"Well, at least you're passing, right?" She scratched the back of her neck, nervously laughing.

"Well..." I blinked.

"Are you failing, Hisana?"

"...Yes." Katsurou patted her shoulder.

"That's okay, not everyone's meant to cook." She laughed.

"Thank you, I appreciate that." They both held amused expressions on their face. I glanced at the clock.

"We should probably go, Hisana." She also checked the time.

"Okay." While slipping on her shoes she explained to Katsurou where everything was and left him the number to the school with our teacher's extension in case there was an emergency. Before pulling open the door she thanked him again and told Rukia goodbye. I also told Rukia goodbye, stepping closer to Hisana and the door.

"Don't have too much fun you two." Hisana smiled, rolling her eyes.

"We'll try." I held the door open for her as she walked out into the hallway. As we walked down the stairs she looked up at me. "I really like Katsurou." I glanced down at her, smiling.

"Yeah?" She nodded.

"Yeah." Hisana laughed quietly, earning a confused expression.

"What?" Walking down the last small set of stairs she smiled up at me.

" 'Yuakuya." I sighed, noticing their little swap of nicknames earlier. She grabbed my hand, tugging on my fingers before pulling her hand away. "Don't be that way, it's cute." I held the door open as she stepped outside, the sun already lowering in the sky.

"Right." Her smile widened as she patted my arm reassuringly. I led her to my car, holding the door for her. Within a few minutes we were headed towards the high school.

The next week went by pretty quickly and neither of us had said anything else about the class ending. I was terrified at the thought of our finals because I was scared that would be the last time I would see Hisana. That Friday I had finished with my test pretty early and waited outside in the hallway for Hisana to finish. She took nearly all the given time to finish. When she saw me sitting on the bench outside of the classroom she smiled before bursting with laughter. I couldn't contain my own laughter as she took a seat on the bench next to me.

"Was it that bad?" She shook her head, a wide grin on her face.

"No, the test was pretty easy I'm just a slow test taker." She pushed her hair out of her face, watching the classroom door, obviously amused. "The teacher stopped me on my way out to tell me that even with a perfect test score I wouldn't pass. My lab grades were too low." My eyes widened.

"Wow." Hisana started laughing hysterically again.

"I know! Isn't that awful?" She pushed herself off the bench, turning towards me as she gained control. "We should get going." I nodded, standing also, stuffing my hands into my pockets. She lightly grabbed onto the lower half of my arm as we headed out the doors. We separated as we slid into my car. I quickly pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards her apartment complex. The entire ride was silent. I parked next to her father's small beat up car, knowing that I couldn't let her go inside without making plans to see each other again. I killed the engine as we got out of the vehicle. Still silent she led me to the building, stopping in the first floor lobby. She looked up at me, smiling, looking upset.

"Thank you for the ride."

"Of course." Her smile widened and before I knew what was happening she wrapped her arms around my waist, hugging me tightly. I froze momentarily but returned the gesture, feeling surprisingly comfortable. "Hisana." I spoke simply to get her attention. She pulled back, looking up at me expectantly. "Would you like to get coffee tomorrow?" She cocked her head to the side.

"I don't-" She cut herself off, quickly picking up her response. "I'd love to." With that she hugged me again before stepping back and waving. "Night, Byu, see you tomorrow." I smiled, my earlier worries had vanished.

"Goodnight." She headed up the stairs. Once I heard her door shut and lock I turned and headed out the door.

The next day I called Hisana early that morning and confirmed a time. We agreed I'd pick her up around four that afternoon. Once the afternoon rolled around I thought about where we'd go, coming up with a few options figuring Hisana could decide. At three-forty I headed out, feeling slightly anxious as I drove. Once parked outside of their building I noticed that her parents' car wasn't among their neighbors' parked vehicles. I dismissed the thought and headed towards the third floor quickly. Once outside their apartment I knocked loudly not worried about being greeted by her father's cold stare. After waiting for about thirty seconds I checked my watch. I knocked again, this time hearing Rukia questioningly call out Hisana's name. Although I knew I shouldn't, I reached for the door handle and found the door unlocked. Cracking it open, I peeked inside. Rukia ran down the hallway quickly as I spotted Hisana sitting on the floor, leaning against the wall. My eyebrows turned down as I stepped inside, noting the lack of lights.

"Hisana? What's wrong with Rukia?" I quickly flipped the switch. Hisana flinched away from the light, closing her eyes. I quickly approached her, noticing for the first time the bruises that covered her face and arms. "Hisana, what happened?" She slowly pushed herself away from the wall, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the light. I glanced towards the sliding glass door, noting the pulled blinds. My eyes started scanning for blood, stopping on her forehead where a small patch of blood had dried. "What happened?" She sighed.

"It..." She swallowed hard as if she was nervous to tell me. "My father came home this morning from the bar and asked me how my test had gone." Hisana stopped, blinking a few times as if her vision was blurred. "At first when I told him he didn't seem very interested but he stewed all day as he sobered up and just..." Again she sighed, not continuing.

"He did this?" She nodded, leaning her head against the wall again. I ignored the anger that rose up in me as Rukia slowly made her way down the hallway. Once she realized who had been at the door she ran up to me, hugging me tightly. I wrapped an arm around her. She was trembling as she watched her sister. I turned back to Hisana also. "Do you need to go to the hospital?" She held her hands up.

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Hisana, you're not fine." She rested a hand on my shoulder, pushing herself off the ground.

"It's just a few bruises. I don't need to go to the hospital." Once on her feet she placed her hand on her forehead, looking dizzy. I quickly stood, picking up Rukia, and grabbed Hisana's arm with my free hand.

"You shouldn't be standing." She leaned against me for balance until I led her to the couch, helping her slowly sit. "What do you need?" After staring up at me blankly, she blinked before answering.

"Painkillers should do." I sighed as she instructed me as to where I could find them. With Rukia still in my arms I headed into the kitchen and retrieved a small glass of water and two painkillers. Hisana quickly took the medicine, sitting the glass aside on the coffee table.

"Are you sure there's nothing else I can do?" I sat next to her on the couch, sitting Rukia in the small space between us. The small girl hugged onto my arm as if she were terrified I would leave. Hisana smiled slightly, patting my arm.

"There's nothing else to do. I'll be fine." I leaned back against the couch, feeling slightly defeated. I wanted to take her to the hospital regardless of what she had to say. Without hesitating or even caring I wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pulled closer. She layed her head on my shoulder, seeming to relax. Rukia, who was sitting between us, quietly started crying. My chest tightened at the sound. Hisana quickly covered her face with her hands and also began crying, her shoulders shaking under my arm. I slightly pulled away from them.

"Do you two want to get out of here?" Hisana wiped her eyes before looking up at me.

"What?"

"If you want we could go to the park or something. We can go anywhere." I carefully brushed my thumb over one of her bruises, trying to see if it was swollen. She blinked, one of her hands going to the other side of her face absently. After a thoughtful moment she nodded.

"Yeah, let's get out of here." She looked down at Rukia, patted her head lightly. "Sweety, go get your shoes on." Without another word both Rukia and Hisana pushed themselves off the couch. Hisana looked down at me. "Just give me a few minutes." I nodded as she headed down the hall, leaning against the wall once to steady herself. While waiting, I helped Rukia with her shoes and asked her to find a light jacket before helping the small girl zip it up. After about five minutes Hisana returned to the living room. Her face was completely clear; the bruises had been completely covered. I wondered how many times she'd had to cover up bruises but quickly pushed the thought away, my anger rising. She was wearing a light sweater over her slightly wrinkled dress.

"Ready?" She nodded, quickly slipping on her shoes. With that we left, not even knowing where we were going. I simply wanted them both out of that place. Later that night when I brought them home I noticed Makito's car parked a few spots away. A glare found its way on my face. Hisana reached over and grabbed my arm, getting my attention. She thanked me, squeezing my arm before pushing her door open. Rukia, who had sat on Hisana's lap due to our lack of a car seat, reached up to me. I hugged her, kissing the top of her head. Hisana practically had to drag her out of the car before saying goodbye and waving. Before leaving I told her I'd call her again in the next few days and that if she needed anything to call my house immediately.

-:-

The next few weeks we spent a lot of time together. However, whenever picking her up I made sure to compose myself, settling for a classic neutral Kuchiki face. It was either act neutral or explode on her father. Whenever we would get together the setting was always casual and although the majority of my free time was spent with Hisana, I had yet to ask her on an actual date. A lot of the time we did homework at her apartment, Makito claiming to be uncomfortable with her going to my house. When her father would allow it I would take her out for coffee, occasionally taking Rukia with us. After about four weeks of seeing Hisana I finally collected my nerves long enough to ask Hisana out to dinner that weekend. I was ecstatic when she happily agreed. That Friday night when seven o'clock rolled around I grabbed my wallet, grabbed my keys off of my dresser and headed down the stairs. I ran into both my father and Katsurou once I reached the bottom of the staircase. Katsurou patted my shoulder roughly, smiling happily.

"Have fun, Byu. Tell Hisana and Rukia hello for me." I nodded, absently shrugging off his hand. My father gave me confused expression as he silently noted how dressed up I was.

"What are you up to, Son?" Katsurou spoke up, nudging my father with his elbow.

"He has a date." My father's eyebrows rose slightly although his face still held a neutral expression.

"With that girl you've been seeing?" I nodded. As he told me to "have a good time" my mother walked up behind Katsurou, eyeing me curiously.

"Byuakuya, Sweety, you have a date?" I held back a sigh, wanting nothing but to get out of there.

"Yes, Mother." She smiled, smoothing out a crease in my sleeve.

"When are we going to meet this girl?"

"I'm not sure." She gave me a dissatisfied look, placing a hand on her hip.

"Why not bring her here after dinner? We can have tea before you take her home." Katsurou smiled down at our mother, patting her on the head. She glanced up at him, smiling softly before turning back to me. "How does that sound?"

"That's fine, I'll ask Hisana about it." She nodded.

"Okay, if you get the chance just call and let me know."

"I will." My father rested a hand on her back, pulling her aside.

"We're keeping him." She glanced his way before turning back to me, telling me to have fun. I said a quick goodbye and headed for the door. Ten minutes later I was pulling into the parking spot next to Makito's small car. After glancing towards their third floor window I slid out of the car and headed for the door, feeling anxious. I gently tapped my knuckles against their door. Within ten seconds the door was pulled open, revealing Yumi. She smiled immediately, ushering me in. I took a step inside and stood near the door, not wanting to stay long.

"Sana, Byu's here." I cringed internally; I couldn't believe that nickname was catching on. Yumi tugged on my sleeve, gaining my attention. "You look so nice, Sweety."

"Thank you." As I spoke I saw Hisana enter the room from the kitchen. She was donning a black flowing skirt that ended at her knees. Above that she wore a loose fitting cream colored blouse that was tucked into her skirt. Her hair rested along her back and shoulders, the long strand that usually fell between her eyes was pinned back. A smile spread over her face as our eyes met.

"Hey, Byu, just give me one second. I lost my shoes." I smiled also as she headed down the hall. She quickly returned, a pair of sandals in her hand. Rukia was following her down the hall, clutching onto Hisana's free hand. When she saw me a grin found its way to Rukia's face. I returned the gesture, picking her up once she was close enough. Her small arms wrapped around my neck as she burried her face in shoulder.

"Rukia, don't get too attached, we have to go." Hisana patted her sister's back. Rukia unwillingly sat her head up, kissing my cheek.

"Have fun, Byuakuya." As I sat her on the ground I kissed the top of her head.

"Rukia, go to your room and leave them alone." Yumi spoke to her youngest daughter with an irritated tone to her voice. The small girl glanced up at her mother before turning her eyes to the floor, her smile gone. Hisana patted her head, leaning over to kiss Rukia goodnight.

"Sleep tight, Ruk." She nodded in response to Hisana, turning and headed down the hall. "I love you." Rukia turned, a small smile on her face again.

"I love you, too." With that Rukia continued down the hall until she was in her room, quietly closing the door. Yumi turned back to us.

"You two have fun." Hisana nodded, grabbing a small hand bag before slipping her house keys inside. "Don't stay out too late." Her words triggered my memory.

"Oh, speaking of that, my mother wanted me to ask if I could bring Hisana home for a few minutes to have tea and meet my parents." Yumi glanced at her daughter before looking back to me.

"That's fine." She smiled slightly, jokingly punching my arm. "They're not going to try and scare her off, are they?" I shook my head, earning a small laugh. "Alright, well you kids have a good time."

"Bye, Mom." Hisana waved as I pulled open the door, holding it for her. She stepped out into the hall, dropping her sandals on the ground before slipping them on. I pulled the door shut and led her down the stairs. Hisana tilted her head back to look at me.

"Should I be worried about meeting your parents?" I shook my head, absently stuffing my hands in my pockets.

"No, why would you?"

"Well, I'm not exactly up to their standards." My chest tightened at her words.

"Hisana." A serious expression fell over her face. "Don't say that." She blinked. We had stopped in the lobby, facing each other.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend you. I didn't mean anything by it-"

"You didn't. Look, I just...regardless of what my parents may think, don't let it bother you." Her face softened as she nodded. Without another word she grabbed my arm and gently tugged, leading me outside. Once we were in the car, I backed out of the parking space, making my way out of the apartment complex. Hisana started asking me how my classes were going, specifically how I had felt about an exam I had taken the day before.

"I feel pretty confident about it." She laughed, kicking off her sandals.

"That's expected, I don't think you've ever claimed to be wary of your own knowledge." I smiled, cocking an eyebrow.

"Are you suggesting that I'm over-confident?" Hisana shook her head, slightly turning in her seat.

"No, there's nothing wrong with it, you're just...you're so sure about everything. It's like you never doubt yourself."

"That's not true." She gave me a disbelieving look.

"Then you hide your doubt very well." I shrugged, aware of that.

"I know." Her eyebrows turned down.

"Why do you feel the need to hide it? You're a human being, Byuakuya, of course you have doubts."

"That's how I was raised, to be confident." She was quiet for a moment, leaning her elbow against the plastic divider resting between our seats.

"Do you consider yourself shy, Byuakuya?" I blinked, a little confused by the direction of conversation.

"...No, I suppose I don't."

"How would you describe your behavior around people you don't know?" I wasn't sure how she expected me to answer or really even how to answer honestly.

"Why?"

"I'm curious." There was a moment of silence as I thought about it. At a loss for words, I sighed.

"I don't know." She smiled, looking slightly amused. "What did you think when you first met me?" Hisana laughed, cocking an eyebrow.

"Oh, you're going there?" Her smile softened as a thoughtful expression fell over her face. "Hm, well, I thought you were distant and shy. You came off as uncomfortable?" She shook her head. "Maybe that's because you didn't want to be there." Hisana held her hand up, pointing her index finger. "If I'm going to be completely honest at first you came off as a _little_ cold." I laughed, glancing over at her quickly.

"I understand why you'd think that. I'm not the easiest person to talk to." My eyes were back on the road but I felt her small hand grab my arm.

"That's not entirely true, it wasn't so bad, it just took a little effort." She was quiet for a moment, staring out the windshield before turning her head back towards me. "Since you asked, what did you think when you first met me?" Although my smile widened I felt a little anxious as I thought back to the first day of cooking class.

"I thought you were beautiful and kind. Also, I thought you were friendly." I felt her grip on my arm tighten in the slightest.

"Aw, that's sweet." When I didn't continue she looked up at me expectantly. "Anything else? You couldn't have liked everything about me. Perfect first impressions don't exist."

"That may be true but I don't think there's anything I left out." As I spoke I slowly pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant. Glancing at the clock, I realized we were a few minutes late. After parking I killed the engine, grabbing the keys. Hisana quickly slipped her shoes back on and pushed open her door. I followed her lead, sliding out of the car. Once the doors were locked we walked around the front of the vehicle, heading towards the entrance. When we reached the door I pulled it open, holding it for her. After being seated to our table I noticed Hisana scanning the room. Soon she turned her eyes to me.

"This place is so nice." I nodded in agreement.

"Have you ever been here before?"

"No." Her eyes turned down to the menu sitting in front of her. She placed her hands on its plastic covering, tapping her fingers against the surface absently. Before anything else could be said a waiter approached the table, asking if we had any preference in wine. I quickly dismissed him, asking for water instead. Hisana smiled as the man left. "We do not-" She cut herself off, holding a hand up. "Okay, I don't look that old. There's no way he really thought I was twenty-one." I laughed quietly.

"They're probably told to ask every table."

"Well, that's not very responsible." An amused expression fell over her face as we were brought a pitcher of water. Once the waiter left I quickly poured each of us half a glass, the ice clinking against the sides of our cups. While waiting for our order to be taken we kept up a comfortable conversation. It felt less like a first date and more like an ordinary gathering. We had spent so much time together already and Hisana seemed so relaxed about the entire ordeal that it made me feel a lot better about the meal. When our food arrived conversation lulled for a couple of minutes but was soon picked up again. Hisana asked me a lot about my early childhood, questioning me about where I went to school and what I thought I was going to do as an adult.

I also asked about her childhood, asking about if her relationship with her parents had changed once Rukia had arrived. She admitted that they had some strange personal issues with Rukia, issues that Hisana didn't entirely understand. Neither of her parents really cared about their youngest daugther and always acted as if she was a burden. A few months before Rukia had been born Hisana said her father was laid off of his job and their finances became a last priority for Makito. They lost their house and were forced to find another place to stay. Once they had a roof over their head again, Makito started drinking more often and refused to look for work. Yumi refused to watch over Rukia, neglecting the baby and leaving her in her crib all day. Hisana said that there were days when she'd come home from school to find her mother in bed, her father gone, and baby Rukia laying on the couch crying loudly. Hisana claimed that she tried to talk to her mother about it but Yumi would get angry and start yelling back as a way to get out of her responsibilities. Once Hisana realized her mother wasn't going to take care of Rukia, she moved her baby sister's crib into her room and has been watching over her ever since. I told her how impressed I was by her ability to take on such a responsibility but she waved me off, making light of her situation.

After eating we continued to occupy our table, talking for another forty minutes before deciding to leave. As we headed out the door Hisana reached over, grabbing my hand lightly. I glanced down at her discretely, noting her relaxed demeanor. She was the one who never appeared to doubt herself. While strolling through the parking lot she tugged on my hand, getting my attention.

"Thank you for dinner, I had a lot of fun."

"Thank you for coming." Her smile widened. "Don't forget, you still have to meet my parents." She nodded.

"I know. You said I shouldn't worry about it so I'm not." As we approached my car she pulled her hand away, walking to the passenger door. I quickly unlocked the vehicle before we slid in, buckling immediately. Once we were on the road again she turned towards me. "Have you told your parents much about me?"

"Not really, they know how I met you and that I've spent a lot of time with you lately." She laughed quietly, nodding as she rested her chin in her palm. Again her elbow leaned against the plastic divider. The ride was pretty quiet but comfortable. I focused on the drive, my house wasn't very far from the restaurant. As I turned onto the final street I glanced over at Hisana to find her with her eyes shut. Her shoulders rose and fell slightly as she inhaled and exhaled deeply. The image of her sleeping form brought back memories from the first time I saw her. I rested a hand on her arm causing her to jump awake.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. Are you alright?" She blinked a few times, rubbing her eyes quickly.

"Sorry." I turned into the driveway, parking in my usual spot. Hisana gazed at the house, still looking sleepy. "Wow, your home is beautiful." I brushed off her comment, more concerned about her.

"Are you sure you're okay? If you're that tired I can take you home after introducing you to my parents." She turned to me, cocking an eyebrow.

"I'm fine, really. I tend to doze off whenever it's quiet." I hesitated, nodding slightly. "Seriously, I'm okay." She pushed open her door and got out. Once outside the car she waited for me, standing near the front of the vehicle patiently. Once at her side I led her towards the front entrance, pulling the door open. Katsurou was passing through the foyer as we entered, donning sweats. His long hair was pulled into a bun. Hisana smiled happily, offering a wave.

"Hey you two, how was dinner?" He approached us, wrapping her up in a hug. She returned the gesture, resting her weight on her toes.

"It was awesome, thanks for asking." As they separated she pointed towards her hair. "I'm digging the bun." Katsurou laughed, turning towards me.

"Mom's in the living room." I nodded, glancing in that direction. My mother stepped into the room, holding a book in her hand. She was still wearing her "work clothes", her heels clicking against the hard wood floor. Her long black hair was pulled into a tight ponytail that was pulled over the side of her shoulder, stopping near her elbow. She smiled pleasantly as she approached us.

"Hello, you must be Hisana. It is so nice to meet you." My mother extended her hand and Hisana quickly shook her hand. "I'm Momoko Kuchiki."

"It's nice to meet you, too." Mother turned to Katsurou, waving him off.

"Katsurou, go upstairs and go to bed. You're father said you have a job interview tomorrow morning." I noticed Hisana's smile widen as she observed their interaction.

"Yeah, yeah." He waved lazily. "Night you guys, see ya Hisana." He turned to Mother and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up off the ground. "Night, Mom." She sighed as he sat her down, telling him goodnight while lightly nudging him towards the stairs. He smiled down at Hisana one last time before heading towards his room.

"Bye, Katsurou." She waved back, turning to my mother once he was out of sight.

"Byuakuya, why don't you go get your father? He's in his office. I'll take Hisana to the dining room and prepare some tea." I nodded, stepping around them as they headed towards the kitchen. Hisana glanced back at me quickly. I smiled, reassuringly before walking to my father's office, lightly knocking on the door.

"Come in." I cracked open the door, not setting foot in the room.

"Father-" He turned in his chair, cutting me off.

"You're back already?" I simply nodded. "I suppose I'm wanted for tea." I smiled slightly.

"Mother's ready." He pushed himself out of the chair, approaching the door. I stepped back as he led the way towards the dining room, I followed a step behind. As we stepped into the dining area Hisana stood, acknowledging my father immediately. He held out his hand, a completely neutral expression on his face.

"Soujun Kuchiki, pleased to meet you." Hisana shook his hand, appearing completely collected.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Hisana." After the introduction, my father sat down at the table across from Hisana. I took a seat next to her as Mother walked into the room with a tray of tea. Once the beverage was dispersed my mother turned to Hisana.

"I believe Byuakuya told us you were still in high school; what year?"

"I'm a freshman." My mother's eyes widened slightly.

"How old are you?" Hisana's smile widened.

"Fourteen." Mother's eyes turned to me momentarily as I took a sip of my tea. She quickly looked back to Hisana.

"Your parents aren't bothered by your age difference?" Hisana glanced up at me before turning back, shrugging.

"I don't think so; if they do they haven't told me." My mom smiled again.

"What do your parents do?"

"Um, neither of them are working." Both of my parents looked surprised at her words, although they kept it hidden pretty well.

"Oh, I'm sorry, that must be very difficult." Hisana simply shrugged, offering no other response. There was a slight lull in the conversation and I thought about dismissing us but before I had the chance my mother spoke up again. "So, are you an only child?"

"No, I have a five year old sister." I noticed Hisana brighten at the mention of Rukia.

"Really? That's interesting, do you spend a lot of time with her?"

"As much as possible." Hisana took a sip of her tea before glancing up at me again, smiling. "Rukia loves Byuakuya." My mother laughed quietly.

"That's a little hard to believe, Byuakuya's not usually very interested in children." Hisana cocked an eyebrow.

"Really? He seemed perfectly comfortable with my sister." Father glanced over at me momentarily before turning back to her, although he didn't say a word. My mother continued to ask Hisana about herself, trying to get to know her better. I was a little surprised at how welcoming they were; I was shocked they would actually have a conversation with Hisana without behaving in a condescending manner, especially after hearing about her family's financial stance. After about fifteen minutes of talking Mother glanced at the nearest clock and dismissed herself, stating how late it was. Before Hisana and I left my parents told us goodbye, Mother smiling warmly. Hisana pulled open the front door before we both headed towards my car. The ride to her apartment was silent as Hisana dozed off again. When we reached her apartment complex I had to lightly shake her awake again. Still silent, I led her towards the building and up the stairs until we were outside her door. Though she still looked a little drozy, Hisana smiled up at me, thanking me again for dinner.

"Your parents were nice, although your dad was pretty quiet." I nodded, leaning against the door frame absently.

"He doesn't talk much, to anyone, so don't feel left out." Her smile widened. She leaned back against the wall facing me with her arms crossed.

"Katsurou seemed closer to your mother than you let on, it was cute." I shook my head absently, thinking about the drastic change in my brother over the course of a year.

"He used to be the coldest sibling I had but like I said, something about that girl really changed him. Honestly, I think he was just trying to bother Mother. They fight pretty often because he still doesn't have a job." She laughed lightly, absently fiddling with her keys. After pushing myself off the wall I dug in my pocket for my own keys. "It's getting late, I should go."

"Okay, drive home safe, Byu." She also pushed herself off the wall before wrapping her arms around my waist loosely. I returned the gesture, extremely pleased with our date. There was something about Hisana, something I couldn't quite define, that made me happier than I had felt in my entire life. When she pulled away I made a rash and quick decision. Leaning over I pressed my mouth against hers, kissing her lightly without feeling the least bit nervous. She seemed slightly surprised but returned the kiss, smiling slightly once we pulled apart. I felt her squeeze my hand before releasing her grip and waving weakly. "Bye, Byuakuya, see ya later." I smiled, stepping back.

"Bye." With that I turned and headed down the stairs.

It took me about twenty minutes to get home that night and I was surprised to see multiple lights still shining through the windows. It was already relatively late and my parents had planned on going to bed before Hisana and I had left. I quickly parked and headed into the house, kicking my shoes off and loosening my tie immediately. My mother walked into the entrance as I locked the door. She smiled up at me tiredly, holding her hand out to me. Confused I stepped closer to her until she grabbed onto my arm lightly.

"Did you have fun Sweety?" I nodded, still unsure of her actions. "Good." She hesitated before tugging on my sleeve sheepishly. "Can we talk to you for a few minutes?"

"…Yes." Her smile widened as she led me into the dining room. My father sat at the table with a cup of tea sitting in front of him. He donned sweatpants and a long sleeve t-shirt. It was strange seeing him in such a casual setting and not behind a desk. "Is something wrong?" Mother sat in the chair next to my father, gesturing for me to sit down.

"Of course not, we just wanted to talk to you about something." Still hesitant, I took a seat as I wracked my brain for some sort of explanation for their strange behavior. "Your father and I are extremely pleased that you're coming out of your shell and interacting with others, being more social." I laughed quietly at her statement. My father gave me a strange look.

"What is so amusing?" I instantly regretted my actions.

"Soujun." With my mother's scolding I decided not to answer. "Anyways, we're glad that you're getting some experience with dating and relationships." I internally cringed, not wanting anything to do with this conversation.

"Mother-"

"Just listen." She held her hands up defensively. "This is the first time you've really developed an intimate relationship and we just don't want you to get comfortable with this girl." My eyebrows turned down; I should've realized they would try to talk me out of seeing Hisana again. "We've both noticed how much time you spend with her; we think you're too young to settle down, especially with the first girl you find."

"Hisana is **not** 'the first girl I found'. She's-"

"She's not Kuchiki material." My expression hardened as I clenched my jaw. My father stared at me with a stern expression as his words rang through the room.

"And why is that? Because her parents don't have jobs? Because they haven't provided their children with the same things you have? I don't care if you two like her or not; I'm not going to stop seeing her."

"Sweety, please calm down." My mother spoke up before my father got the chance. "Doesn't her age bother you at all? The girl is just a child, Byuakuya." I shook my head, letting out an exasperated sigh.

"You don't know anything about her. Hisana is the most mature and responsible person I've ever met."

"She's _fourteen_." I pushed myself away from the table, stepping away from my parents.

"I don't have to explain anything to either of you." As I turned to leave my father spoke up again.

"Byuakuya, get back here now. This conversation is not over." I froze, tense with anger.

"This is not your decision to make. I'm going to continue seeing Hisana." With that I continued out the door. I heard my parents shuffle after me; their feet echoing off the hardwood floor as I made my way up the stairs.

"Byuakuya, do not walk away from us." I ignored my father and continued to my room, leaving them to fume.

Over the next six months Hisana and I continued to go out regularly, despite my parents' disapproval. I told Hisana about that conversation which really upset her although she didn't let it show. Whenever we did see my parents she was pleasant and dealt with my father's rude actions very maturely. In those first six months of dating I fell deeply in love with Hisana. I was ecstatic to graduate early so I could not only get a job and move out but so I could live a more normal schedule. This allowed me to see her more often. I tried to spend every free minute with her. She thought my enthusiasm was flattering and often joked about how "clingy" I was, gently teasing me. Not only did my relationship with Hisana strengthen, I grew closer to Rukia as well. On a regular basis Hisana and I would take her out with us, taking her to the park or bringing her with us for dinner or ice cream. We did everything we could to keep her away from Makito and Yumi. After a while the two of them started feeling more and more like my own little family and all I ever wanted to do was spend my time with them.

Hisana and I continued dating for another year before I proposed to her. She was only shy of sixteen by two months at the time but her mother was enthusiastic. Hisana agreed to marry me on one condition; we had to wait until she had graduated from high school. That was another two and a half years but I didn't care. I agreed and started counting down the days to her graduation. My parents were furious with me and my father refused to speak to me on the rare occasions that I went to visit them. I didn't think it was possible for my relationship with my parents to become even more strained but it did. Although my mother was perfectly nice to Hisana, she didn't approve and told me that often. She tried to warn me about the "dangers" of marrying someone from such a different social group but I simply blocked her out.

Other than my parents' anger and disconnection with Hisana, things were great. We saw each other as much as possible and gradually worked on our wedding plans. Hisana sped through high school, her grades improving drastically as Katsurou and I started watching over Rukia. Whenever she had finals or a large project, one of us would take Rukia off of Hisana's hands and allow her to focus on her work. As her junior year began to come to an end I had been watching Rukia most afternoons while Hisana stayed at school to study for her finals. Her parents took that as an opportunity to go out every afternoon, which didn't bother either of us.

One afternoon while watching Rukia and waiting for Hisana to return home. While Rukia and I rested on the couch, flipping through a small book she had brought home from school. She layed her head against my chest as I held the book over our faces; she slowly read through the bold printed words. The phone rang, interrupting Rukia mid-sentence. We both sat up as I reached towards the coffee table until I could grab the phone. Without a thought I answered.

"Hello."

"Byuakuya?" Hisana's voice rang through the phone, sounding shaky.

"Hey, Hisana, are you alright?" She inhaled suddenly, practically gasping. "Hisana?" My voice sounded urgent as panic threatened to hit me.

"There was an accident." My entire body tensed as my mind scattered with the possible bad news. She let out a single sob before taking another deep breath and collecting herself. "My parents were in a car accident." I noticed Rukia's curious expression but tried to reassure her through gesture.

"Do you need a ride to the hospital?" I ignored Rukia's worried look.

"No, I'm already here. An officer picked me up from school so I could identify them." My breath caught in my throat.

"Identify?" My mind tried to process her words. "Are they-"

"Dad died from impact. Mom is in a coma; she looks awful." Hisana then broke down, sobbing loudly into the phone. "Byuakuya, what are we going to do?"

"Shh, it'll be okay Hisana. Do you want me to meet you there?"

"No, just please stay with Rukia and don't tell her anything. I'll explain it to her."

"Okay, if you need anything just call."

"I will." Hisana sounded exhausted. "Are you sure you don't mind watching her, I could be here all night."

"I don't mind at all."

"Thank you." She sighed. "I love you, Byu."

"I love you, too. Remember, call if you need anything."

After hanging up I came up with some excuse for Rukia, telling her that her parents ran into some trouble and that Hisana didn't give me many details. After about an hour and a half later I was putting her to bed, tucking her in and kissing her goodnight. It was going on one in the morning when I heard a knock at the door. I quickly got up and let Hisana in. She immediately wrapped her arms around me, burying her face in my chest. Her sobs were muffled and her shoulders shook as she trembled.

"I'm so sorry, Hisana." She tightened her grip on me. Once she calmed a little I asked her about her mother. "Is she still in a coma?" Hisana slowly shook her head.

"They said she was completely brain dead…so I asked them to take her off life support." A few tears escaped her as she spoke. "I regretted it as soon as her heart monitor flat-lined."

"Sana, you shouldn't regret it. If she had no chance of waking up, what's the point in having doctors fight to keep her alive? I think you made the humane decision. I can't imagine how hard it was; I'm so sorry you had to make it." She hugged onto me again. I carefully picked her up, stepping away from the door. "Let's get some sleep." She wrapped her arms around my neck, laying her head on my shoulder. After locking the door and turning off the living room light I headed down the hallway towards her room. She sat her head up.

"Wait, can I talk to Rukia really quick." I sat her down, my arms still around her.

"She's sleeping."

"I know but I have to tell her." I nodded, slowly letting her go. She quietly crept into the room, her soft voice filling the room quickly. For a few minutes I heard her explain the situation to her little sister; once Hisana started crying I stepped into the room, standing in the doorway. Rukia seemed fine, claiming that her parents were never home and that their life wouldn't be that different. Hisana continued to cry into her hands until Rukia hugged onto her supportively. I stepped into the room, laying a hand on Hisana's shoulder.

"Let's go to bed."They curled up on the mattress, Hisana holding Rukia. I quickly shut off the light in the hallway before lying down on the free side of the bed, wrapping an arm around the two of them as we all did our best to fall asleep.

The next morning I woke to loud knocking. Once I realized someone was at the door I quickly and carefully slid out of bed and headed towards the living room. I pulled open the door revealing a police officer and a woman dressed in a suit. I pushed my disheveled hair out of my face. The officer gave me curious glance.

"Is Hisana here?" I nodded, stepping back and allowing them to enter the small living room.

"Is this related to the accident her parents were in yesterday?"

"Yes, we need to talk to her immediately." Thinking they had some sort of legal documents to fill out related to her parents' wills I quickly dismissed myself and headed down the hall, carefully shaking her awake. She groggily walked down the hallway towards the two standing by the door.

"Hello, Hisana. How are you feeling?" She rubbed her eyes, drawing attention to the dark rings under her eyes.

"I've been better."

"I'm sorry about your parents."

"Thank you." I absently wrapped an arm around her shoulders, earning an unpleasant look from the man.

"I hate to bring more bad news but we need to talk about Rukia." Hisana and I tensed simultaneously at the mention of Rukia's name.

"What about Rukia?" Hisana's voice shook subtly. The officer gestured towards the woman.

"This is Ai from child protective services. We have to talk about your rights to custody." A terrified expression fell over Hisana's face. "You're too young to legally keep your sister."

"What's going to happen to her?" I asked, scared of the answer.

"She's going to be taken put into the foster system until Hisana becomes of age. Once Hisana is old enough to have legal custody we'll release Rukia to her."

"Can anyone be a foster parent?" He shook his head.

"No, you must apply and be processed. The government has to make you're fit to play the role of a parent. The entire process can take up to a year." I sighed, trying to think of some sort of way to prevent Rukia from being taken.

"What about adoption?"

"Another long process; it would be simpler for Hisana to wait until she's legally able. It'll only take a few months." Hisana started crying, hiding her face in her hands. I tightened my grip on her, feeling sick. "I'm sorry but we have to take Rukia into our custody."

"Right now?" Hisana looked up at the two. The woman nodded a sympathetic look on her face.

"I'm afraid so." As she spoke I heard soft footsteps as Rukia came down the hallway. She looked up at the two strangers with a curious expression. "Hello, Rukia." The woman kneeled smiling at the small girl. "Can you do me a favor?" Rukia didn't respond, grabbing onto the fabric of my pants. "Is there any way you can get some of your things together? You're going on a little trip." Slowly, Rukia shook her head, now looking scared as her grip tightened on my pants. Hisana stepped back, wiping her eyes.

"I'll get her things." A knot formed in my chest as she headed down the hall. I quickly picked Rukia up, tightly holding onto her as she started sobbing into my shoulder. The police officer addressed me.

"Who exactly are you?"

"Kuchiki Byuakuya, Hisana's fiancé." He eyed me as if suspicious. After a moment of silence Hisana returned with a small duffle bag. She handed it over to Ai, her face expressionless. This was the worst possible thing that could happen. Hisana told me to say goodbye to Rukia. I looked down at the small girl clutching onto me. Resting her head against Rukia's I inhaled deeply, collecting myself. Hisana took her from me, hugging her little sister.

"Rukia, you have to go with Ms. Ai, okay? They're going to find you a place to stay for a few months until we can live together."

"I don't want to go!" Rukia exclaimed through her sobs.

"It's okay, you'll be fine. We can talk over the phone until then. I promise it won't be long before you get to come home." Hisana tried to hand Rukia over to the officer but he had to pry her off. Rukia reached out to me.

"Byuakuya don't make me leave!" I shook my head, covering my face with my hands.

"I'm sorry Rukia." I turned, quickly heading towards the bedroom. They must have left immediately because Rukia's screams were muffled until they eventually disappeared. Hisana shuffled down the hall until she stood in the doorway, tears running down her face. At that instant I felt like everything was falling apart; Hisana's family had disappeared over night and I couldn't do anything about it. I rested my head in my hands and let out so much an endless amount of pent up emotions. Hisana quickly approached me, wrapping her arms around me.

"It's okay, Byu. It is going to be okay. In a few months we'll have her back." I wrapped my arms around her tightly. We sat in silence for about a half an hour before she spoke again. "Are you okay?" I nodded, feeling awful; she was the one who just lost her parents and sister in less than twenty four hours, she shouldn't have to comfort me.

"Are you?" She pushed my hair out of my face gently, her face still neutral.

"No but I will be. We'll have Rukia back before we know it. All that's left is planning their funerals; in a week it'll all be over and we can worry about getting everything else taken care of." An idea popped into my head as she spoke.

"Have you thought about your living arrangements?" She nodded.

"Yeah, I figure I'll be kicked out of here in about two weeks, three at the latest." There was a short moment of silence.

"Come live with me." Hisana's eyebrows turned down.

"What? I can't live with you."

"Why not?" She smiled slightly, laying her hands on my shoulders.

"Because you have a one bedroom apartment and we're not married." I placed my hands on her tiny waist.

"We can get a house."

"A house?" I nodded. "W-why?"

"Why? So we can live together. We'll need a house when we get Rukia back, might as well start looking now. In a year or so you'll be done with school and we can get married." She thoughtfully stared off. "What do you think?" I lightly shook her to gain her attention.

"We can't. Your family already thinks our relationship is based on money. If you bought a house before we were married, that would only confirm it in their minds."

"So? Hisana you just said that in two weeks you'll be kicked out of your apartment. You won't have anywhere to go. I don't care what my family thinks, we're getting married we'll need a house eventually. Why not now?" She was quiet for a while, thinking it over. Hisana folded her arms, looking unsure and exhausted.

"If you're positive about this then fine."

"I am positive." I smiled slightly, pulling her closer. "I love you Hisana." She returned the gesture, kissing me.

"I love you too."

"Everything is going to work out for the best." I protectively tightened my grip on her. "I promise, I won't let anyone or anything hurt you. Or Rukia." Her smile widened as tears reformed in her eyes. She hugged onto my neck tightly, squeezing me before crying into my shoulder. In the midst of all the negative, I was still happy. I had Hisana and soon Rukia would be in our custody; nothing else mattered.

-:-

**Okay, I'm so sorry this took so long but I hope you all enjoy. I've officially started college, going into my third week! Because of this I will almost definitely not have enough time to write, like at all. However, I still want to write an epilogue if you're interested. I'll pick it up during breaks and work on it sporadically. I wanted to start a new story but that is going to have to wait. I hope you all understand! Please review and let me know how you feel about one last chapter of ****In What Do You Believe?**


	28. Chapter 28

**After my first year of college I'm finally back to write the epilogue of my beloved story **_**In What Do You Believe?**_**. I am so excited to get back to writing for pleasure! It's also been difficult leaving this story incomplete. I hope you all enjoy!**

-:-

The strong breeze and sudden light woke me. The smell of the light rain sifted through the room as Ichigo gently nudged me, saying my name. I glanced through squinted eyes to see the curtains blowing away from the open window. Pulling the covers over my head, I turned over, not ready to get out of bed.

"Rukia, wake up. It's almost ten and Byuakuya's expecting us by noon." I ignored him, trying my best to drift off to sleep. Ichigo wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder blade. After a few moments he sat up, pulling me with him. I groaned in annoyance.

"I don't want to get up." He laughed, squeezing me tighter.

"Too bad." I rested my weight against him, rubbing my eyes with my fist. "Come on, let's wake up Nanami and get ready." I pushed myself off the bed and out of his grip before stretching my arms above my head. After kissing Ichigo on the cheek I headed down the hallway towards the guest bedroom. I peaked inside to find Nanami lying in bed, staring intently at the ceiling. Her long hair was being absently combed through by her fingers. She looked so much like her mother it was unbelievable.

"Good morning, are you ready to get around and go to Uncle Byu's house?" She turned her head, looking up at me with Kisa's dead stare before nodding. "I think your Daddy is going to be there." She smiled happily, sitting up and dangling her legs over the edge of the bed. Ichigo stepped into the doorway and held his arms out to her. She lazily made her way to him before allowing him to pick her up.

"What do you want for breakfast, kiddo?"

"Pancakes, please." Ichigo headed towards the kitchen of our apartment.

"Pancakes it is." He smiled, sitting her down by the table and digging through the cabinets. Nanami and I sat at the table talking while Ichigo prepared us breakfast. It was nice being able to babysit for Kisa and it gave us the opportunity to practice our parenting skills. Nanami was almost five years old. She inherited her mother's brains and her father's positive attitude. She was a perfect combination of Kisa and Osuma.

We finished our breakfast quickly and got around, heading out to the car. I snapped Nanami into her carseat while Ichigo put her overnight bag in the trunk. We slid into the car, Ichigo behind the wheel, and headed towards Byuakuya's house. Ichigo absently grabbed my hand, running his thumb over my wedding band. We had been married for almost a year. The ride was fairly silent aside from the quiet music playing on the radio. Ten minutes later we were pulling into Byu's driveway. The rain hadn't let up so I quickly unbuckled Nanami and headed inside with Ichigo a step behind. As I pushed the front door open Byuakuya came down the stairs, greeting us with a smile. Nanami stretched her arms out to him, approaching him quickly.

"Oji!" Byu scooped her up and kissed her head as she tightly hugged onto his neck.

"Nanami. Did you have fun with Rukia and Ichigo?" She nodded, smiling up at him. Ichigo sat her bag on the floor by the door before taking a sit on the couch. "How are you two enjoying your summer break so far?"

"It's great. I can't believe I'm already halfway done with my masters degree. I love this weather, it's unusually cold and wet for summer but I love it." Byuakuya smiled down at me, pulling Nanami higher.

"I'm so proud of you both." I returned the gesture, sitting on the arm of the couch closest to Ichigo. The front door cracked open, gaining our attention as Osuma stepped into the living room. He grinned, waving in greeting.

"Hey guys."

"Hey Osuma, how's it going?" Ichigo absently wrapped an arm around my waist as he greeted his best friend.

"It's going." He smiled tiredly, glancing at his daughter who was squirming out of Byuakuya's grip. She quickly approached him, arms outstretched. After he scooped her up and hugged her tightly, he turned back to us. "How was babysitting?" I smiled, straining my neck to meet his gaze.

"It was great, we had a lot of fun. I think she missed you though." He kissed the top of Nanami's head.

"I missed you, too."

"You look exhausted, Osuma." He nodded, using his free hand to push his hair away from his face.

"My classes are kicking my ass."

"I thought you were working in the hospital this summer?"

"I am, I'm doing both. I take classes during the day and work at night." Ichigo shook his head. They were both enrolled in medical school so Ichigo could sympathize with him.

"That's suicide." Osuma laughed, shrugging it off.

"It'll be worth it in the long run." Ichigo started to say something in return but stopped at the sound of the piano upstairs. Loud dissonant chords thundered from the guest room. "Is Kisa here?" Byu nodded, leaning against the staircase railing.

"She's still having trouble with her car so I gave her a ride to the grocery store this morning." I stood and headed for the stairs, followed by Osuma. We quietly walked into the guest room, not getting Kisa's attention. Osuma sat Nanami down and gestured for her to stay quiet. He stepped closer to Kisa, glancing at her sheet music. After a few moments of analyzing the piece he sat on the free end of the bench, slightly distracting Kisa from her playing. Her fingers stumbled slightly but she quickly got back on track, elbowing Osuma playfully. He started playing a few chords, harmonizing with the minor tune on the low side of the piano. Kisa tried to push his hands away without stopping but couldn't. She finally pulled her hands away and shoved him.

"Do you have to ruin everything?" He laughed off her comment, hugging onto her arm.

"You're the one who taught me basic piano skills." She pulled away and stood from the bench, turning to their daughter.

"Mama." Kisa smiled, brushing Nanami's hair behind her shoulder.

"Hi, Sweetie." Nanami grabbed Kisa's hand, holding onto it lightly. It was hard to believe that Kisa was a mother. She looked as young and beautiful as ever. It only took Osuma four months after being reunited with Kisa to ask her out. He helped her process a lot of her feelings over the loss of Kon. Kisa told me that she fell in love with Osuma almost instantly. However, she felt guilty, like she was betraying Kon. This made it hard for the two of them. Osuma often felt like she was comparing him to Kon and felt like she wanted him to live up to her late boyfriend. Five months after they started dating Kisa found out she was pregnant. Kisa panicked; she was terrified of the idea of raising a child, not because she was only seventeen but because of how she was raised. She finished high school that year and went onto college, studying piano performance. With the encouragement of Osuma and Byuakuya she was able to continue through school, only taking three weeks off when she had Nanami. Despite the fact that they had Nanami, they eventually broke up. Osuma couldn't take the pressure of living in Kon's shadow despite what Kisa told him. Instead of making Kisa sad, it pissed her off. However, over the course of the last six months they had been getting closer which made me think that they'd eventually get back together. Osuma had even talked to Ichigo about proposing to her.

"Hey Rukia." I blinked, refocusing.

"Hey, how have you been?" She nodded.

"Okay, you?" I leaned back against the wall before answering.

"Good, enjoying a break from school." Again she nodded in agreement. I felt someone grab my waist, pulling me closer. Assuming it was Ichigo, I leaned back resting my head against his chest until I noticed the dark tattoos covering the person's forearm. I quickly pulled away and glared up at Renji who laughed aloud.

"_Hello_, Rukia."

"Don't touch me, you perv." He smiled, patting my shoulder in a friendly, innocent manner. Renji stepped closer to Kisa and Nanami, greeting Kisa with a hug. She didn't return the gesture, she never hugged Renji. He leaned over and kissed her cheek, earning Osuma's attention and a disgusted look from Kisa.

"Hey Kisa. Hey Kiddo." Renji smiled down at Nanami, holding up his fist. She gave him a fist bump, smiling up at him. Osuma moved closer to Kisa, a step behind her with his hands in his pockets. Renji nodded at him. "Osuma, I haven't seen you in a while. You look tired, man."

"I am." He gave Renji a friendly smile, not seeming threatened anymore. I looked up at Renji, curiously.

"What have you been up to? How was your first year teaching?" He shrugged.

"It was pretty good but I think I'm going back to school to get my masters."

"After one year?"

"Yeah, I feel like I should get it done while I can."

"That's a good idea." Renji had gotten his bachelor degree in elementary education and had spent an entire year working in the private elementary school he had attended as a child. He never got back together with Mina. In fact, none of us knew what happened to Mina after graduation. He dated on and off, none of the women ever really sticking around long. Despite her circumstances, Renji asked Kisa out on a regular basis, genuinely trying to convince her to give him a chance. When she and Osuma first separated he offered to let Kisa and Nanami live with him, an offer she refused. Renji stayed in touch fairly often, having dinner with Ichigo and I at least once a week. He was also still incredibly close to Michiru.

"Rukia? Are you okay? You look a little pale." I blinked, looking up at Renji's question.

"Hm? Oh, I'm fine, just thinking." He smiled slightly, looking unsure. Before anything else could be said Ichigo stepped into the crowded room, smiling happily at Kisa.

"Hey Kisa." She returned the gesture, nodding her head slightly.

"Hi, Ichigo." Ichigo turned to me, still grinning happily.

"I think today is going to be a small reunion. Tatsuki's in town visiting her parents and asked if she could stop by." My eyebrows rose in surprise. We hadn't seen Tatsuki in almost a year.

"Seriously? That's great. Maybe we should call up Michiru and invite them over while we're all here." Renji stuffed his hands in his pockets as he added to the guestlist. Ichigo nodded, looking enthused.

"Great idea, Renji. Call her." I smiled at Ichigo's excitement.

"I'll go let Byuakuya know and see if he has anything we could fix for lunch." I stepped out into the hallway, followed by all the others. Ichigo stopped me, letting the others move ahead of us down the stairs.

"Are you alright? You look ill." He felt my forehead with the back of his hand, his face no longer holding excitement. I pushed his hand away gently.

"I'm fine."

"Are you sure? How do you feel?"

"Fine, Ichigo. I'm fine." He nodded, leaning over to kiss the top of my head. I smiled slightly, patting his arm before heading down the stairs myself. When I reached the bottom of the stairs Renji was on his phone, talking with who I assumed was Michiru. I approached Byuakuya who was fixing a pot of coffee.

"Byu, a few more people are coming over. Is that alright?" He nodded as I stepped closer to the fridge.

"Of course."

"Do you have anything we could fix for lunch?" I opened the door and started looking but Byuakuya nudged me towards the living room.

"I'll fix something, you go sit down. You don't look so good, Rukia." I sighed.

"I'm fine, let me help." He shook his head.

"If I need help I'll ask Ichigo. Go." I narrowed my eyes, giving him a half-hearted glare. Despite my frustration I turned and headed back for the living room. Kisa was sitting on the couch with Nanami on her lap, resting her head on her mother's shoulder. Osuma sat next to Kisa, leaning his weight against her and his head on her other shoulder, air snoring. I smiled, approaching the loveseat and sitting next to Ichigo. Renji leaned back against the wall as he ended his phone call.

"She said they'd be over in a few minutes. They were headed home but just turned around." He was going to continue when his phone went off again. After a quick glance at the screen his expression shifted into one of annoyance. He answered the call and stepped outside just as Tatsuki was about to knock. She smiled, patting Renji's arm before stepping into the living room. We were all shocked to see her bulging stomach. She appeared to be at least seven months pregnant. I felt Ichigo slightly tense next to me. After moving away to a different high school we didn't hear much from Tatsuki. Ichigo kept in touch with her as much as possible. As for Kiba, they drifted apart and Tatsuki broke up with him that summer. Once we had all graduated she visited a few times before leaving for college, majoring in business. She went on to get her masters degree and opened her very own dojo, teaching karate lessons. She dated on and off but never seemed so close as she was with her last boyfriend we met, Lee.

"T-tatsuki." I elbowed Ichigo, hoping that he didn't make her feel uncomfortable. Luckily Kisa spoke up, smiling up at our old friend.

"Congratulations, Tatsuki. When are you due?" Tat smiled, her hand absently going to her stomach.

"Thanks, Kisa. I'm due July 10th." Ichigo cleared his throat, preparing to speak.

"So, you and Lee are pretty serious?" She laughed half-heartedly at his comment.

"Well, we were. He wasn't very excited about the pregnancy and when he realized I wasn't going to terminate it he left. I haven't heard from him in almost four months." Again Ichigo tensed next to me but his expression was now hard, angry.

"That stupid bastard." Tatsuki slightly rolled her eyes, waddling to the free side of the couch before sitting.

"Don't worry about him, he's obviously useless. We're better off without him." The sound of a car door slamming shut got all of our attention. I glanced out the window to see if Michiru had arrived but instead saw Mahana carrying her infant son. She looked frustrated as she approached Renji, handing over the child quickly. Once Renji had the baby in his arms and his diaper bag she practically ran for the car, leaving as quickly as she arrived. Renji turned towards the door and stepped back inside. In his arms he held his sixth month old son, Benjiman. Approximately a year and a half ago Renji, frustrated with his work, went to a local bar and got completely wasted. Later that night he ran into Mahana and nine months later Ben was born.

"That stupid bitch."

"Renji." Ichigo scolded him as Renji approached us immediately handing Ben over. Ichigo happily took the baby.

"I'm sorry, she just pisses me off so much." He ran a hand through his hair, sighing quietly. "Of all the women I've had sex with, why was she the one to get pregnant?" Kisa laughed at his comment, earning his attention. Renji smiled in return. There was a faint knock on the door before Michiru pushed it open, stepping inside. It had been a long time since I had seen her. She was pale and thin, she looked severely ill. Her son Fagan was at her side, holding onto her hand as Shuuhei came in a step behind. Michiru smiled widely at us all.

"Hello, everyone! It's been too long." Her sundress was huge for her petite frame and being held in place by a belt around the waist. The ends of her hair brushed against her protruding collar bones. The boy next to her, a miniature version of Hisagi, looked to be about three years old. Michiru had gone back to the huge medical school she was attending to start her sophomore year but about three months into the semester she started having blackouts more regularly. The medical staff didn't know how to help her and wouldn't run any tests on her unless her parents were there. Instead of having her parents fly across the country to her, she flew home and visited the doctors who had already worked with her on her condition. After numerous tests and two weeks in and out of the hospital she had no answers. The physicians claimed that the blackouts were too irregular and had no common trigger. There was nothing physically wrong with her head aside from the healed scars from the accident. Frustrated, she went back to school, made up all the missed work until she was completely caught up. However, the week before finals she had another blackout and didn't remember three weeks worth of material for her classes. She told all her professors but insisted on taking the finals, hoping it would all come back to her. Michiru failed all of the tests, even some of the courses altogether. During winter break her parents suggested that she take a semester off of school to focus on finding out more about her condition. For a year she continued seeing doctors and specialists but never got any answers. Michiru was furious with the situation but was determined not to let it control her. She went back to school and picked up where she left off. However, the blackouts interfered too much, making it impossible for her to retain all the necessary information to get a degree. She had to move back home with her parents. A few months later she and Hisagi got married. They lived in a small property in town owned by her parents while Shuuhei commuted to school, driving forty-five minutes to and from campus everyday. Since she had to drop out of school Michiru has suffered from severe depression and anxiety. There were times when she wouldn't leave her house for weeks and days when she begged Hisagi to stay home with her. When their son was born she was terrified to take care of him by herself and had her childhood nanny, my aunt by marriage, Mei Mei stay with her for the first two weeks. Although she eventually got into the swing of things and was able to fully take care of Fagan on her own, she still struggled with blackouts and her depression. It seemed like every few months she lost the ability or freedom to do one thing or another. Just a few months ago she had a severe headache, sometimes a sign of a blackout, while driving and lost focus, driving into a tree. After being hospitalized for a day and questioned by the police they took her license.

Shuuhei stuck by her through everything, similarly to the way he sat at her side the entire time she was in a coma years ago. Even though it made school difficult for him, he stayed with her as much as possible when she was home and immediately answered calls or texts from her when they were apart. After one year at KU, he transferred to a larger school with a strong engineering program and finished with high honors. Because of a connection with one of his professors he was hired just a month after graduation. Once he had a steady income the two of them bought their own house and moved. Despite their struggles, they were happy and they were fantastic parents.

Hisagi ushered his wife to a seat quickly, squeezing her onto the couch between Osuma and Tatsuki. Kisa elbowed Osuma until he woke up and told him to move to make room. Michiru patted his arm, reassuring Kisa that she had enough space. She turned to Tatsuki, her eyes growing wide.

"Tatsuki! You're pregnant, congratulations!"

"Thanks." Tatsuki smiled pleasantly, leaning back against the couch. "How are you, are you feeling alright?" Michiru nodded, letting go of Fagan's hand as he approached his father. Shuuhei picked him up, pulling him to his shoulder.

"I'm fine. I had the flu about two weeks ago so I lost a little weight."

"A little? You look terrible, 'Chiru." A worried look covered Renji's face. "You couldn't have lost that much weight from the flu. How long has it been since you saw a doctor-"

"I'm fine, Renji. Just drop it." Her tone was serious, as a slight glare formed on her brow. Renji glanced up at Hisagi for an answer. Shuuhei sighed, looking fatigued.

"She had an appointment a few days ago. Her doctor gave her vitamins and a strict diet to help put the weight back on." Renji nodded, folding his arms.

"Good." There was a slight pause as Ichigo handed Ben back to his father. Hisagi smiled at the baby, slightly amused at Renji's clumsiness.

"How's Ben? He's getting pretty big."

"He's good; he's a quiet kid." Shuuhei nodded.

"I bet your mom has a blast with him." Renji laughed, holding the baby up to his shoulder.

"Oh yeah, she goes nuts for him. It's expected though, she's a woman." Everyone laughed at his sarcastic joke, knowing that he didn't mean it. Before anyone could say anything else Byu walked into the room, a surprised expression falling over his face.

"Wow, hello everyone." He smiled, looking pleasantly surprised. The guests all greeted him, smiling happily up at my brother. "Does anyone want any coffee? I just made a pot." Michiru nodded, pushing herself off the couch and heading toward the kitchen while asking her husband if he wanted any. Kisa pushed Osuma, telling him to go have some coffee. He reluctantly did so, stretching as he followed the rest. Byu went back into the kitchen but they sounded as if they had already made themselves at home. I smiled at the thought.

"Ruk, you want some?" I looked up at Ichigo's question, shaking my head.

"No, thanks." He smiled, squeezing my hand before standing.

"Get me some, Ichigo." Renji was still cradling Ben in his arms, sliding off the arm of the love seat into Ichigo's old spot. Ichigo nodded in agreement before heading towards the others. Renji turned towards me, holding the baby out to me.

"Want him?" I shook my head.

"No, that's ok." His face shifted, his expression showing his concern.

"Why not? Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"Mmhm." I thought he'd push the issue but instead nodded before looking to Tatsuki.

"I forgot to tell you congrats, Tat. Do you know if it's a boy or a girl?" She nodded, leaning back against the couch.

"A boy." Renji's eyebrows rose slightly.

"The boys are dominating here." He smiled, glancing towards Nanami. She was completely limp, dead asleep on her mother. Kisa absently messed with Nanami's hair, leaning her cheek against the girl's head. Shuuhei pulled his own sleeping child closer, stepping towards the couch.

"If you want, I'll stick these two in a guest room to sleep." Kisa looked up at him without moving her head. She hesitated before nodding and loosening her grip. Hisagi carefully picked Nanami up before heading towards the guest room down the hall. He quickly returned, leaning against the staircase railing.

"So, Tatsuki, do you have a name for the baby?" Hisagi folded his arms casually as he spoke.

"Yeah, his name is Shou." Her hand went to her stomach again. "Once I found out that my other child was a girl, I decided to keep the name Kiba and I had chosen for a boy." I nodded as she spoke.

"Wasn't that his father's name?"

"Yes."

"Well, I love it. It's adorable." She smiled.

"Thanks, Ruk." I returned the gesture before glancing up at Hisagi. He was chewing on his fingernail, staring at the floor. He looked preoccupied and it was unusual for him to be so quiet.

"Shuuhei, are you alright?" My voice gained his attention as his eyes met mine.

"Hm?"

"What's wrong? You seem worried about something." He glanced towards the kitchen before turning back to us. After a slight hesitation he approached us, sitting on the coffee table and resting his elbows on his knees. Before speaking he rubbed his eyes, looking exhausted.

"It's Michiru; she's getting worse and worse." Hisagi spoke in hushed tones, leaning closer to us all. Renji's eyebrows turned down.

"How so? Her blackouts?" Shuuhei shook his head.

"Her blackouts have been pretty regular over the last six months. It's her depression. She never had the flu, she lost all the weight because she never eats anything. Everytime I try to make her eat she promises that she's not hungry. She always had an excuse but lately its just been that she's too upset to eat. That's all she'll tell me. And her anxiety is getting worse too. If we hadn't been so close to the house when you called Renji, I probably never would have convinced her to come today." My eyebrows turned down at the news.

"She seems so happy." He nodded.

"She puts on a good act." Hisagi sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's starting to affect Fagan. I can always tell how her day was based on how he acts. If she had a bad day where she didn't speak much or at all, Fagan is quiet and doesn't want to play. If she's feeling better, and feels like cooking dinner and cleaning up the house or going out, he's usually much more talkative when I get home. I think he believes it's normal behavior, that's why he mimics it." He rested his head in his hands, looking defeated. "I don't know what to do. I can't take him to a baby sitter, that would kill Michi, but I don't think he should be around her like this." Kisa leaned forward, resting a hand on his arm.

"Don't separate them, that will just make them both worse." He looked up at her, completely open to any advice she was willing to give. "Nanami used to do the same thing whenever she was around me. It's normal for kids to mimic their parents."

"What changed?"

"I did. I noticed her behavior and talked to Osuma about it. We came up with a schedule so that I made sure to take her out of the house when I did have her or have things to do to keep her preoccupied. That way I didn't have to rush any grieving I was doing at the time and she didn't focus on my behavior." Hisagi nodded, seeming to soak up the idea. "I understand that Michiru isn't grieving; there's a good chance she's going to deal with this for the rest of her life but I think keeping Fagan preoccupied with the things he does with her instead of her mood would help. Well, it would help him."

"Maybe it would help M-"

"What are you guys huddling about out in here?" Michiru entered the living room, a coffee mug in hand and a bright smile on her thin face. There was a brief moment of silence as the five of us froze. Luckily Tatsuki spoke up, slowly pushing herself off the couch.

"We were just talking about baby stuff. The guys are trying to convince me to name my kid after them." Michiru laughed, leading Tatsuki to the kitchen in conversation. Hisagi smiled watching his wife walk away. He pushed himself off the coffee table, stretching his arms above his head.

"Thank you guys for listening and for your help." He patted Kisa's shoulder, looking a little less stressed at the moment. Kisa simply nodded.

"Of course, Sagi, anytime." I smiled up at him before pushing myself off the couch. Apparently the party moved to the kitchen. After stretching a bit more, Hisagi headed that way. Kisa stepped around the coffee table, heading towards the guest room. She peaked inside, checking on Nanami and Fagan. Once she was pleased with what she saw she cracked the door. Renji smiled down at her, wrapping an arm around her.

"You're such a good mom, Kisa. It's really attractive." She shrugged him off and rolled her eyes, looking slightly amused. She walked away from him, towards the kitchen. The two of us followed a few steps behind. Everyone was surrounded around the table, most with coffee mugs in their hands or sitting in front of them. Noticing the lack of chairs I quickly approached Ichigo, sitting on his lap and resting my elbow on the table, putting my weight on it. Ichigo absently wrapped an arm around my waist, earning Osuma's attention.

"So, how's everything for the newlyweds? It's almost been a year, already." Ichigo laughed quietly.

"Yup, I've survived being chained to Rukia for almost a year. If I make it to August, some of you will owe me money." I elbowed him in the gut.

"Shut up, you ass." Laughter spread around the table at our bickering. Ichigo hugged onto my waist, laying his head against mine. I felt him smile into my hair.

"When are you two going to have babies?" Osuma bluntly asked, smiling victoriously. He knew how much I hated this topic.

"Don't get on my case, I've been ready. Ask Rukia." I shook my head, leaning back against my husband and folding my arms.

"Never." Michiru leaned forward, smiling at me directly.

"You'd be such a good mother, Rukia. You have to have at least one baby."

"Two, we have to have _at least_ two. More if we don't have one of each on our first try." I laughed at his statement. He never ceased to amaze me with his expectations of me as the mother of his kids.

"You're crazy. You'll be lucky to get one out of me." Again Osuma opened his mouth while giving Kisa his seat.

"What if you had twins? His sisters are twins so it runs in his family."

"Don't say that! If I have twins I'm going to kick your ass!" He laughed, holding his hands up.

"I'm just saying, it's a possibility." He leaned his weight against the back of Kisa's chair, looking towards the other end of the table at Byuakuya. "How many do you want them to have, Byu?"

"Well, I think there's a limit to how many children Rukia could handle at once so I wouldn't want them to exceed that. But, if they find themselves with more children than they can handle, I can always take one." I smiled at my brother; he was still so enthused about having kids. He was an amazing parent, it was a shame he never had the opportunity to have kids of his own. Ichigo shook his head.  
>"Sorry Byu but our babies aren't for sale. We're keeping them all, all eight of them." I turned my head and looked up at him.<p>

"If we have eight children you'll have to put me in an asylum. I would go absolutely crazy." His smile widened, seeming amused. Tatsuki spoke up, looking up at Osuma.

"What about you? When are you going to have another kid?" He blinked, speechless. Tatsuki smiled at him as everyone looked to Kisa. She turned her eyebrows down before glancing up at Osuma, meeting his gaze.

"Don't look at me." Osuma laughed quietly, looking back to Tatsuki.

"Well, Tatsuki, I'm currently out of service due to loneliness." Kisa elbowed him as the rest of us laughed at his answer. "Besides, life's kind of crazy at the moment so even if I could, it wouldn't be any time soon." Renji leaned forward before joining the conversation.

"I think if I ever have another kid I would want Kisa to be its mother." Kisa rolled her eyes, resting her head in her hand.

"Could you be anymore forward, Renji?" Hisagi smiled, trying to hide his amusement as he questioned Renji.

"What? It's true. She gorgeous, talented, and a good mom." He turned his attention to Kisa. "What if by the time we're thirty and we're not married or in steady relationships we marry each other, Kisa?" She looked at Renji like he was insane.

"No."

"Wow, this casual get together turned into a sloppy wedding proposal." Tatsuki laughed at her own joke, smiling at Kisa. "Good answer."

"Shut up, Tatsuki. C'mon Kisa! It would just be a safety net, in case things don't work out for us."

"No, Renji." He shook his head.

"You'll change your mind." She thought about it, a small smile on her face.

"I guarantee you that I won't." Byuakuya shook his head as he pushed himself away from the table. He checked the oven, peaking inside. After a few more minutes of chatting Byu announced that lunch was ready. We got up and served ourselves, Shuuhei retrieving the sleeping children. Renji put his now sleeping son in small foldable swinging chair that was stuffed in his diaper bag. Most of us preoccupied the table but a few sat in the living room due to the lack of chairs. The meal was relaxed and we spent the time catching up. After Ichigo and I had finished eating we moved to the living room. He took a seat on the couch and I occupied the arm closest to him. Renji and Shuuhei were chatting when we entered, turning their attention towards us.

"Hey, Byu won't mind that we invited another person over will he?" I furrowed my brow.

"Not at all. Who did you invite?"

"It's a surprise." Renji smiled as he spoke, glancing up as Michiru entered the room.

"What's a surprise?"

"They invited some mystery person over." I glanced up at her as I spoke. Michiru's eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"Who?" She looked to the two men. Renji simply shook his head.

"How long until this person gets here?" Ichigo spoke up, absently wrapping an arm around me.

"He should be here in ten to twenty minutes."

"So, its a guy." Renji rolled his eyes at Ichigo's statement, nodding.

"Yes, he's a guy." Tatsuki walked into the room as Kisa and Osuma headed up the stairs. Tatsuki sat on the floor next to the coffee table.

"What are you guys talking about?"

"We invited someone else over but we're not saying." She nodded, seeming uninterested.

"Oh, okay." Renji looked back at Ichigo, leaning back on the couch.

"So, when will you start your work in the hospital?"

"I think I have two more weeks before it starts." Hisagi leaned forward, his elbows resting on his knees as he joined the conversation.

"What exactly will you be doing there?"

"I'll just be assisting nurses and residents. Most of it will be paperwork. I don't have enough experience or education yet to work directly with patients." Renji nodded, glancing over as Kisa came down the stairs. Tatsuki spoke up, leaning back against her hands.

"Do you ever work with your dad?" Ichigo nodded.

"Yeah, most summers and breaks I help him out in the clinic. It offers a lot of hands-on experience, especially now that I understand more about the human body." I smiled as he spoke. He really loved what he was doing. I was shocked when he first told me that he wanted to become a doctor. Although Ichigo loves his father, he didn't want to be anything like Isshin.

"Are you studying to be a family doctor like Isshin?"

"No, I'm really thinking about becoming a surgeon." Tatsuki's eyebrows rose.

"Wow, that's great Ichigo!" He simply smiled happily in return. There was a knock at the door to my right. I slid off the arm of the couch and pulled open the front door. A tall dark haired male was standing on the porch. At first I didn't recognize him until his icy blue eyes met my own.

"Kiba! It's so good to see you!" I quickly hugged him before letting him step into the living room. His usual smile was plastered on his face as he returned the embrace.

"Hey, Ruk! Thanks for having me over." After he and Tatsuki split up our senior year most of us lost complete contact with Kiba. Renji mentioned him once in awhile but Ichigo and I hadn't seen him since before our high school graduation. He gazed around the room, waving at everyone and patting Ichigo's shoulder.

"Hey man, it's been a long time. How have you been? I heard you got married." Ichigo smiled up at our new guest, nodding.

"Yeah, Rukia and I got married about a year ago." Kiba's eyes widened before he glanced back at me.

"I forgot you two were even together." He shook his head. "Sorry, I've forgotten a lot about Karakura High School. I wasn't there very long. Anyway, congratulations you two!" I told him to take a seat, taking my place on the arm of the couch again. As Kiba walked towards the couch he noticed Tatsuki sitting on the floor. His smile widened.

"Tatsuki! Hey, how have you been?" He leaned over and hugged her tightly, becoming aware of her pregnant belly. "Congrats to you too! When are you due?" She blinked, appearing surprised as she weakly returned the gesture.

"Thanks, July 10th." He stood, still smiling as he approached Kisa, hugging her as well. She stiffened, obviously uncomfortable.

"Kisa, it's good to see you." She politely shrugged him off.

"You too," she said quietly. Kiba held his hands up, taking a step back.

"I'm sorry, didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." She brushed it off. He grinned again, turning back and finally sitting on the couch next to Renji. He said hello to the others as Michiru came into the room with Fagan and Nanami.  
>"Kiba, what are you doing here?" She smiled pleasantly as she approached her husband, sitting on his knee and pulling their son onto her own lap. He started chatting with her as Osuma came down the stairs looking half asleep as he rubbed his eyes. Kisa glanced at him as he made his way into the kitchen. He quickly reentered the room, leaning back against the staircase next to Kisa. His eyes temporarily went to Nanami who was sitting on the floor next to Tatsuki, absently chatting away. Kiba's eyes also went to Nanami.<p>

"Who's kid is she? Kon and Kisa's?" He glanced up at Kisa and Osuma, his expression locked into one of regret. "I'm sorry, I meant Kisa and..."

"Osuma." There was a pause in the room. Osuma seemed a little irritated at the mix up. Kiba nodded apologetically.

"Osuma, I'm sorry. It slipped my mind." He bowed his head slightly. "I'm Kiba, I don't think we've met." Kisa elbowed her ex, trying to get him to answer.

"It's alright, it's nice to meet you." Osuma smiled at Kiba pleasantly.

"So, she is your daughter?" He gestured towards Nanami. This time Kisa answered.

"Yes."

"Well, I know it's late but congratulations." Kiba's smile widened. "How long have you two been together? Are you married?"

"Uh, actually we're not together." As Osuma answered I noticed Kisa tense slightly, not liking the attention. Before Kiba could respond Renji spoke up.

"That's right, Kisa and I are married." Kiba looked at Renji in utter shock.

"No we're not." Kisa spoke firmly, a glare on her face. Renji smiled at her, enjoying her frustration.

"Right, I'm just waiting for Kisa to realize that we're perfect for each other and that marriage is inevitable." His smile widened as she continued to glare back at him. Kiba grinned, laughing quietly.

"Wow, I never thought I'd hear Renji Abarai sound so excited about getting married. Maybe this is a sign Kisa, that you are supposed to marry him." She shook her head.

"I don't think so. Normally people don't marry people they can't stand." She smiled slightly, teasing Renji. Kiba turned to Tatsuki, asking if she was married. Before I could get involved in the conversation Byuakuya stepped into the room and gestured for me to follow him back into the kitchen. I stood and did as he wanted, looking up at him questioningly.

"What's up?"

"I'm not trying to be rude but I thought you should know that your Uncle Katsurou and Uncle Shirou are coming over tonight for dinner. You know how Shirou is so I thought you'd try to have this place cleared out by four o'clock." I nodded, shocked that my younger uncle was actually coming over. I hadn't seen him since I was fifteen.

"Okay, I'll let everyone know."

"You can stay of course." I smiled up at my brother, hugging him.

"I know, we'll stay. I haven't seen Shirou in a long time. Besides I don't think Ichigo is going to throw away the chance to see Shiomi." Byu wrapped his arms around me, embracing me tightly.

"I bet you're glad to see such old friends."

"I am, it's nice. It's been a long time since we've all been together." I let out a soft sigh. "Of course, we are missing someone: Kon." My brother tightened his grip on me.

"I know. It's not the same without him." He rested his head against mine, not letting me go. "I wasn't happy that he and Kisa were having sex in my house but he was a really good kid. One of the kindest people I've ever met." I laughed dryly.

"Kisa told you about sleeping with Kon?" Byu shook his head.

"I knew. I noticed them both come out of his room one morning. I knew, I just didn't know how to react. I'm not her father or her brother. I didn't know how to react without scaring her or overstepping my boundaries. I know this is going to sound strange but now I'm glad they did." My eyebrows turned down in confusion as I waited for his explanation. "Kisa really loved him and he died so young, she probably would have regretted it if they hadn't been together." A smile reformed on my face as my eyes watered slightly.

"I love you, Byu." He squeezed me before finally letting me go. When he saw the sadness on my face he pushed my hair behind my ear.

"I love you, too." He nudged me towards the living room. "Go, spend time with your friends." I tugged on his arm.

"You come too, they missed you Byuakuya." He laughed, trying to pull away.

"I should clean up."

"Byu." I gave him a stern look, not giving him an option. He sighed, a smile still on his face as he allowed me to pull him into the living room. As we entered Kiba turned his attention to my brother.

"Mr. Kuchiki, it's been a long time." Kiba smiled happily as he approached us, holding his hand out. They shook hands but Byuakuya looked unsure.

"I'm sorry, I don't quite remember you." His words earned a quiet laugh from Kiba.

"That's alright, we only met once or twice. I'm Kiba, you might remember me as Tatsuki's boyfriend." A thoughtful expression fell over my brother's face. After a few seconds he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, you look a lot like Kon to me. I'm having trouble placing your name." Kiba blinked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"I look like Kon?" Byuakuya nodded, examining his facial features.

"A little, yeah." Everyone was quiet as we all looked at Kiba. He noticed and returned our gazes. He and Kisa locked eyes as she studied his face. Silence sustained throughout the room only breaking when Kiba spoke up.

"...Kisa." She blinked, nodding slightly.

"You do, I never noticed that before." She smiled slightly, earning a wide grin from Kiba. Osuma wrapped his arm around Kisa's shoulders, pulling her close. I thought she'd pull away but instead she leaned against him as Kiba looked back to Byuakuya.

"Well, Mr. Kuchiki, I'm Kiba. It is nice to meet you." Byu smiled and nodded his head.

"It's nice to meet you too."

Byuakuya and I sat down as the conversation in the room picked up. We all continued to catch up for another hour and a half, many of us grabbing another cup of coffee. When three thirty rolled around I mentioned our other company and many of our current guests happily excused themselves. I wondered how long until I would see most of them again, the thought a bit disheartening. Eventually people began hugging and saying their goodbyes. Hisagi was the first to lead his family to their car, carrying his sleeping son. Afterwards Kiba walked Tatsuki out to her car, standing outside for a few minutes as they exchanged numbers. He hugged her goodbye and then they both left. Renji stayed, along with Osuma and Kisa. Byu went back into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee. As the remaining guests resituated in the living room the doorbell rang. Before I could reach the door, it was pushed open as Uncle Katsurou and Aunt Mei Mei walked in. I closed the space between us, hugging my uncle. He smiled, returning the gesture tightly.

"Rukia, how are you?" I felt him kiss the side of my head before we separated.

"I'm great now that you're here." He laughed at my answer. I quickly embraced his wife, greeting her as well. She glanced around the room, spotting Renji.

"Oh, uh, Renji's here...?" I blinked glancing to said person. I nodded, meeting Mei Mei's eyes.

"Yes...is that a problem?" She blinked before shaking her head.

"No, no of course not." A smile resided on her face as she glanced out the front door. Her eyes quickly returned to Renji. "It's just a pleasant surprise." Renji stood, grinning. He quickly approached her, hugging her tightly.

"It's been a long time, Mei Mei!" She returned the gesture, glancing at Katsurou. Byuakuya stepped into the room and greeted his brother and sister-in-law. As they hugged Shirou stepped through the door, holding Shiomi's hand as he led her into the house. He had short layered black hair that was slightly spiked. He wore a black suit with his tie loosened around his neck. When our eyes met he smiled, looking surprised at the sight of me.

"Rukia..." He shook his head slightly, still smiling. "God, you look exactly like Hisana." I laughed as I hugged him. "You're grown."

"That's what happens when you don't see someone for nearly ten years." He returned the gesture, squeezing me tightly. Another person stepped into the house. I looked around my uncle to see Mina standing in my doorway gripping her purse until her hands turned white. She smiled weakly. I was shocked to see her and confused as to why she was with my family.

"Mina..." Everyone's eyes went to Renji as he stared at his ex in shock. I looked back at Mina, the same shock on her face.

"Renji?"

"Wh-what are you doing here?" Shirou's eyebrows turned down in confusion.

"You two know each other?" Mina turned back to my uncle, grabbing his hand.

"Uh, yes. We went to highschool together." She smiled back at Renji, slightly bowing her head. "It's nice to see you Renji. How have you been?" The shock no longer resided on her face, a friendly expression taking over. He blinked a few times before answering.

"Good, you?"

"Great, thanks for asking." She turned to Byuakuya, holding her hand out to him. "It's nice to see you again Byu." They shook hands as he greeted her as well.

"Wait, you've met Byuakuya?" Mina nodded, looking back to Shirou.

"We were friends with Rukia in high school, I told you. I've been here before." He glanced at Byu before nodding. Once I realized no one else was going to say anything I jumped in.

"How exactly do you and Mina know each other, Uncle?" His eyes met mine before a small smile formed on his face.

"She's my fiancee." My eyebrows rose, surprised.

"Oh, wow. Congratulations." Byuakuya spoke up, inviting the guests to sit. They moved to the kitchen for coffee as I shut the door and glanced at Renji. He still seemed a little shocked but blinked it away. "Are you okay?" His eyes quickly met mine.

"Yeah, just...wow that was weird." I smiled, getting a laugh from him. Ichigo, who was sitting on the couch holding Benjiman as he slept. Byuakuya called us into the kitchen. As Ichigo stood Renji offered to take his son. Once Ben was situated in his father's arms the three of us entered the kitchen. Katsurou looked up at me expectantly.

"You sort of forgot to introduce your husband, Rukia." My eyebrows rose slightly as Shirou looked up at Renji and the baby.

"No, no, not him. Shirou, this is Ichigo, my husband." I grabbed Ichigo's arm as an indicator. He smiled down at my uncle who quickly shook hands and started a conversation with Ichigo about our marriage. I was distracted as Mina noticed Ben for the first time.

"Oh my God, Renji you have a baby?" She stood and peeked down at the young Abarai. "He's so precious!" Renji laughed quietly as she continued to examine the baby. "Where's your wife?" Her eyes met his expectantly. His eyebrows rose; he looked taken aback by the question.

"Uh, no I'm not married."

"Oh, sorry. Who's the mother, if you don't mind me asking."

"Prepare yourself, you're going to laugh." Mina smiled.

"Oh, God."

"Mahana." She did laugh.

"I'm glad you're not married, not to her. She'd make a terrible wife." Renji nodded.

"I couldn't agree more."

"Are you two together?"

"No, it was one awful drunken night." Mina's smile widened.

"Well, you were blessed with a beautiful baby so it wasn't a total waste, right?" He nodded, looking down at his son.

"Right." Footsteps caught our attention as Kisa and Osuma entered the room. Kisa's face lit up as she noticed Katsurou.

"Uncle!" She quickly approached him, hugging him before he could get out of his chair.

"Kisa, how are you? I've missed you. Where is that little one of yours?"

"She's upstairs taking a nap." Kisa glanced across the table at Shiomi and Byu as they chatted away, talking about her summer vacation entering the second grade. A smile spread over her face as she watched them but she turned back to Katsurou, hugging him again. "I've missed you." Ichigo and I finally sat as everyone said their hellos and Mina caught up with Kisa.

As we sat at the table we learned about how Mina and Shirou met and how they fell in love and how he proposed. Renji didn't seem bothered by the news, he seemed genuinely happy for her. Byu and Mei Mei fixed dinner, the two always enjoyed cooking with the other. We ate and caught up, everyone having an opportunity to fill in the others. After the meal Renji excused himself, claiming that he had to get ready for work the next day, working part time at the factory his father worked in. Kisa and Osuma went upstairs to check on Nanami. Ichigo and I sat in the living room talking for awhile as my brother and his siblings chatted in the kitchen. After a half hour of sleepy conversation Ichigo suggested we go home. I nodded, pushing myself off the couch. We stepped into the kitchen and announced our departure, hugging everyone goodbye. I told Ichigo I'd go say goodbye to Kisa and Osuma while he used the restroom. We both went up the stairs, going separate ways. I peeked inside Kisa's old room and saw Nanami sleeping on the bed, curled up. She was alone so I checked in the other rooms, finding them in the spare upstairs guest room. They were lying on the bed, Kisa laying her head on Osuma's shoulder as he messed with her hair. She hugged onto his waist, staring at the wall opposite the door. I leaned back out of sight and listened before entering.

"I can give you and Nanami a ride home, Kisa. You need to get to bed."

"Mmhm." Osuma laughed, resting his cheek against her forehead.

"Would you rather stay here tonight?"

"No."

"Want me to take you to Renji's?" She laughed, glancing up at him.

"Hell no."

"Why not?" Her eyes went back to the wall as she answered.

"Well, I usually only go to his place when I want sex but the baby has been getting in the way." Osuma laughed, nudging her.

"Shut up." Kisa's smile widened.

"You offered." Osuma sat up, slowing pulling away from her.

"Come on, I'll take you home." She sighed, pushing herself into a sitting position. Osuma placed a kiss on her lips and wrapped his arms around her. "I love you, Kisa." She patted his back.

"Yeah, yeah, get off me." He smiled into her collarbone before letting her go. I noticed Ichigo approaching me with confused expression on his face but I shook my head. I finally stepped into the doorway and knocked on the open door.

"Hey guys, we're leaving, I just wanted to say goodbye." Ichigo and I quickly hugged them, making plans to get coffee in the next week. After that, to two of us got our stuff around and finally left. The ride home was quick and silent as Ichigo drove with soft music playing in the background. I rested my head on the window, enjoying the silence after such a chatty day. When we reached our apartment Ichigo smiled over at me before stepping out of the car. Still we moved in silence as we entered our home. We kicked our shoes off and threw our jackets on the small couch before heading for the bedroom quietly. I immediately laid down, earning a laugh from Ichigo as he changed into shorts and a t-shirt. He got into bed, staring at me thoughtfully.

"You've been kind of quiet today, is everything alright?"

"Hm? Yeah, we just...saw a lot of people today." He smiled, wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me close.

"It was nice. We had a lot of surprises." I laughed quietly, thinking about all the life-changing news our friends and family had to share today. I was quiet momentarily but soon met eyes with Ichigo.

"Do you want another one?" He cocked an eyebrow, thinking it over.

"You're smiling...it's good?" I nodded, my smile widening.

"I think you're going to love it." He stared at me, waiting. "This morning at Byu's...I took a pregnancy test." Ichigo's eyes widened. "I'm pregnant." He continued to gaze at me in shock. I nudged him. "Did you hear me?"

"We're going to have a baby?" I laughed; my baby-crazed husband was panicking at the thought of his own child.

"That's generally what pregnancy lead to: a baby." He finally smiled, hugging me tightly.

"Oh my God Rukia, this is fantastic!" Putting distance between us, he met my eyes. "What about all that talk today about never wanting a baby? Are you ok? Did you know?"

"I knew, I just didn't want to even hint at the pregnancy with everyone there." I inhaled deeply. "I'm scared, really scared but...you're going to be a fantastic dad and I know we can do this together." Ichigo quickly kissed me before getting out of bed and reaching for the phone. I laughed again. "What are you doing?"

"We need an appointment with your doctor. And my dad, I have to tell my dad!" He stopped momentarily and looked down at me questioningly. "Can I tell him?"

"Of course." He grinned.

"I love you so much."

"I love you too, Ichigo." He headed down the hall quickly, dialing away. Although I was scared shitless, I wasn't _worried_. Ichigo was going to be the best father in history of humanity. If I was going to raise a child I was glad I had the opportunity to do it with my best friend. I exhaled as the realization hit me. I was going to have a baby. I was going to have a baby and I couldn't have been happier.

-:-

**Alright, it's over. Fini. :*( I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it! Thank you for all your support and ideas throughout this story! I'm so sad to see it end but am grateful for the experience I got out of writing it! :)**


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